Bullying in Educational institutions

14 th day of #Blogchatter daily write challenge  

Bullying in educational institutions have been around for some time. However, its nature and intensity has changed over periods of time . In India, the problem (called ragging ) was mostly at college level, particularly in the professional colleges. In the US, the problem starts right from school. There have even been cases of shooting and death of students due to bullying. The world having become so small with the arrival of the internet, you know what is going on in any part of the world and there is a natural tendency to replicate it. Therefore, it need not be a surprise if bullying happens in a big way at the school level in India as well. After all. today we hear of increasing use of drugs amongst school students in the cities of India. 

Bullying can take many forms such as physical bullying, verbal bullying, relational or social bullying and cyber bullying. While physical bullying is easier to identify, the others are more difficult to prove and restrain the culprits. As for example cyber bullying which is on the rise is done anonymously. The students in educational institutions are reluctant to report ragging as they fear negative, more severe repercussions. Another reason is that they do not expect effective adult responses from the college or parents. 

In real terms bullying can psychologically scar the victims and result in the loss of their confidence level for life. In the year 1985, one of my cousins on the maternal side had joined the Manipal Engineering college and found it very difficult to deal with the ragging in the college. When he came from the college hostel for my wedding in September of that year, he was not able to join in the fun and frolic of a celebration. He remained withdrawn and appeared physically and mentally drained. He later quit that college and joined a college in Mysore. In the video below, the case of ragging in a Bangalore college is reported.

On October 14, 2022, the partially decayed body of  Faizan Ahmed, 22 year old student of IIT Kharagpur was found in his hostel room. The cause of death is attributed to severe ragging.

It may be interesting to note that ragging not only affects the victim but can also scar the psyche of the perpetrator.This was discussed in the 1987 Malayalam movie Amrutham Gamaya wherein the hero, Haridas, a medical student played by Mohan Lal , leads his gang in ragging a first year student who pleads to not hurt him as he is a heart patient, Haridas however mocks him and insists that he carry him on his shoulders around the campus leading to the victim's death. Haridas then begs his professor to save him and the death is covered up by the college as a playground accident. 

Later, as a doctor, the protagonist comes across the family of the victim who lead a miserable life, as they had pinned all hopes on their academically brilliant son. Haridas is now plagued by guilt and remorse and he even takes to injecting drugs on himself to forget the haunting past. Thus there are no winners engaged in this heinous act of ragging. They just get into it for the perception of power and status amongst the peer group. Although under the UGC Regulation Act 2009, ragging is punishable with imprisonment  which may extend to a term of up to two years and fine that may extend to Rs 10,000 or with both, it has not been a sufficient detterrent to the practice.

It is necessary for colleges to act swiftly taking parents also into confidence. Positive relationship and closer interaction  between teachers and students would enable students to confide in them. Further, sensitizing the so called "seniors" (who deem it their right to bully) to the reality of ragging is most essential. Making them aware that no real power or prestige accrues to them and that on the contrary the scars of ragging may pop up inconveniently in later life is key to the success of an intensive anti bullying/ ragging campaign which is long over due!