A video of several students of Ateneo Junior High School has become viral, and Filipinos’ reactions online and offline are as telling as the bullying incident that the video reveals.
There are varying suggestions on how to deal with the bully in the video, who confronted another boy and punched him in the nose. It’s a universal opinion that Ateneo, an institution so critical of the administration’s perceived human rights abuses, should discipline the student—to what degree depends on the results of an investigation—to send the message that there are no sacred cows especially in that environment of privilege.
The parents, many believe, should be held accountable for the acts of their minor child. Already several other videos of the same boy bullying yet other children have emerged, establishing that this was not a one-time judgment lapse.
The voices have been loud and virtiolic over the Internet. No less than Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin says the boy “should be beaten senseless” to straighten him out. Imagine all the other hateful things being said about the boy, all along the lines of putting him in his place and disabusing him of any notion of power and entitlement at such a young age. Many have also criticized the school for the “lame” response to the incident.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who call for sobriety, reminding the others that the boy is still a child, that his own rights should be protected, and that the hatred spurred by the bullying video itself approximates the hatred that the bully had for his classmate.
Unfortunately, these very strong reactions are bound to come and go, much like the events that caught our attention and fired up our sentiments, only to be forgotten when the next big sensation comes along.
While we are at it, it is best to focus on those who have kept silent all along—the bullied. For instance, the boy who was punched in the video was reported to have received medical attention belatedly, because he only told his parents the truth when the video surfaced.
Bullying is a common occurrence in schools, and those who fall prey to bullies often feel that they must work it out on their own because admitting to it would invite more abuse or make them appear weak. Some children—and even adults —withdraw into their own worlds, perform poorly in school, and even take their own lives because of the experience.
That recorded incident is not the only instance of bullying in Ateneo, or anywhere. In countless environments, with children and adults alike, there are always those who feel they must look, sound and act strong all the time by flaunting their power over others. By all means, they should not be tolerated. The bullied should be empowered to stand up to their oppressors.
It is in the home that children first get educated on how to protect and assert themselves. It’s a tough world out there. The good news is, we don’t need be as low and as coarse and as dirty to survive. We only have to be decent—and firm.
