My experience as a victim of bullying

I was only thirteen years old when I graduated from primary to secondary school. This was every young girl’s dream, since young girls who never joined secondary schools were married off at extremely tender age. I felt particularly privileged having passed my primary examination and admitted to one of the best girl school in the country. I had read of bullying cases in boarding schools, but all seemed like fairy tales to me.

The reality of bullying dawned on me after I joined the school. We were never recognized by our names, but rather were branded as Monos. This name referred to all the first formers. Our self-esteem was significantly affected from the fact that we were only supposed to be seen, but not heard. The senior students made sure that we never enjoyed our stay in the boarding schools. It was a crime for a first former to laugh out loudly amidst the senior students. In case this happened, one was severely punished, which included singing lullaby for the rest of the students in the dormitory until they were fast asleep. Some of my fellow students could not bear this humiliation, and they ended up quitting school to be married off at a tender age.

Among the incidences that I vividly remember was when the seniors threw me out of the dormitory as they were dressing up. I was forced to prepare for classes after they had finished preparing. I could not gather the courage to report the issue, since I knew the repercussions that would await me after reporting them. I was constantly late for my morning classes, a fact that infuriated the teachers, who concluded that I was lazy in waking up. This significantly affected my first form performance and increased my aggression towards my fellow students.

In conclusion, my self-esteem had reduced considerably. It was until my parent noted my lack of interest in things that I initially liked, that she decided to take me to a counselor. I attended the sessions for two years until I was in my third form. Schools administration should improve methods of dealing with bullying problems, since traumas that the victims face could change their lives entirely. Some of the long-term emotional traumas affect the general growth of the students. Schools should enact rules against the students practicing this vice.