By Deborah Asantewaah SARFO
World Vision Ghana has expressed concerns about the recent bullying in Secondary High Schools, condemned the act and urged key stakeholders to take immediate action to curb the issue.
Citing recent reports of bullying at Accra Academy and Zuarungu Senior High Schools in the statement, the organisation highlighted the act’s devastating effects on students – adding that academic institutions must be a safe place for students.
“These acts of intimidation and violence are unacceptable and demand urgent intervention from school authorities, educational stakeholders and government. Bullying is a serious issue that can have long-lasting, devastating effects on the mental health, well-being and academic performance of students,” part of the statement read.
To ensure that students involved in these acts are held accountable, they urged school authorities to act swiftly to investigate these cases – insisting that government must strengthen policies to combat bullying and ensure strict enforcement to protect students.
The organisation further called for support systems to address bullying and collaborative efforts among parents, teachers and students to “foster a culture of kindness, respect and inclusivity in schools”.
To prevent future occurrences, they recommended establishing clear policies and reporting mechanisms for bullying incidents and emphasised a need for training teachers and staff on bullying prevention and intervention strategies.
Additionally, they suggested students should be educated on the harmful effects of bullying and encourage them to report incidents.
World Vision Ghana expressed its support for the affected students and their families. They also stressed its commitment to advocating for child protection and working alongside key stakeholders to build safer schools.
