Cape Town - Children as young as 6 experience signs of depression and turn to suicide as a relief from bullying, which is one of the leading causes of the pandemic according to the SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag).
With the International Day of Peace today, NPO Kidz2Kidz is looking to weed out bullying.
The organisation is launching its year-long anti-bullying programme called Cool2BeKind, which aims to educate and create awareness around bullying and provide resources for victims of bullying.
“We are passionate about unwrapping the truths to bullying. We aim to dispel the myth that bullying is a normal part of a child’s development. Through education, we hope to take teachers, children and schools on the journey of becoming anti-bullying ambassadors,” said founder and national co-ordinator of Kidz2Kidz Dee Boehner.
“The more we know, the better equipped we become to prevent bullying in schools. We teach parents and educators how to identify the signs, and what to do if it takes place.”
Boehner said the programme aimed to educate and create awareness around bullying and support victims of bullying. The programme also supports other anti-bullying initiatives, such as primary school pupil Lelo Mofokeng’s self-published book on how he survived bullying in Grade 1.
Cool2BeKind Gauteng co-ordinator Sam Heald said Mofokeng’s book, I Survived Bullying, explored truths of bullying in a way that children and adults alike could understand.
Mofokeng’s mother, Leeyah Lerato Rakgaba, said: “We, as parents or guardians, need to listen more to our children and make it our duty to know what’s going on in their lives.
“We are all busy, but children always want to talk, and we tend to miss that due to our crazy schedules.
“Also, we can’t fight the bully without understanding why the bully is bullying in the first place.”
Heald said it was important to note that the bully was often also a victim who came from a background where there was insecurity, abuse, little parent involvement, and inconsistency in the actions of parents.
This resulted in bullies having low self-esteem, leading to an overcompensation to claim back their power.
Some signs Heald said might point to a bullying problem include unexplainable injuries; lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewellery; frequent headaches or stomach aches; feeling sick or faking illness; and changes in eating habits, such as suddenly skipping meals or binge eating.
For more information, to donate or to find out how you can get involved, visit www.kidz2kidz.co.za/