Parents Want Psychologists in Schools After Vicious Bullying Assault on Schoolgirl
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The Parent’s Association wants psychologists to be on high-school staffs in the wake of the release of a video showing vicious attacks on a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Limassol.
The two girls responsible for the beatings were arrested as juvenile delinquents. They ganged up on the 16-year-old, kicking her in the head and shoulders, grabbing her hair and smashing her head into the ground. Then they laughed about it.
The victim seemed frozen in fear and unable to defend herself.
The girls were fighting over a boy, with the aggressor accusing her victim of interfering with her relationship. The video went viral on social and traditional media, so now society is faced with the reality of extreme bullying and assault in the schools.
This behaviour is the tip of the iceberg in the schools, a teacher told CyprusNewsReport.com. The staff feel that their hands are tied because the kids say they’ll report them to the police or to their parents if they try to discipline them.
The Parent’s Association also said that this behaviour starts at home and that children learn it from their parents. If shouting, screaming, kicking and hitting are all normal behaviour in the home, then naturally the children will repeat it in school.
Leda Koursoumba, the commissioner for children’s rights, said that her department is preparing a new bill on juvenile justice. More intensive intervention is needed, she adds.
“Why do we fail to support a child psychologist for every 3000 students?” said Ms. Koursoumba.
Punishment of abusive behaviour is not enough, because by then the child has already adopted bullying habits. Preventative measures like empathy training and psychological treatments are needed, she said.
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