Die aard en omvang van bullebakkery in skole: strategieë vir die voorkoming van die probleem

It is a common misconception that bullying is part of the process of growing up. Bullying, however, leads to violation of the victim’s human rights and has serious negative consequences for his or her physical, emotional, social and educational wellbeing. It is therefore imperative that ways and means be found to prevent bullying. The aim and purpose of this article is to report on the experiences of a group of Free State learners as victims, spectators and auditors of bullying. This will be done against the background of a literature study. Cognisance will be taken of their strategies concerning the prevention of bullying. The survey indicates that both direct and indirect verbal bullying are a problem in Free State schools. Important elements in the campaign against bullying include maintaining discipline; being conscious of the nature and extent of bullying; establishing a culture of caring, and involvement on the part of both learners and adults.