Hello everyone! I'm E G Parvathy(I prefer to be known as Parvathi Sanmayi) a young woman from Kerala, India. I'm here, with a petition to the Central Government of India to enact a law against bullying, representative of all the bullying survivors of India. I myself am a school trauma survivor. Since I didn't see a concise definition of school trauma anywhere, let me create my own. School trauma refers to the negative impact caused to a student by either a single negative event or a series of events, either continuous or sporadic, which can be physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, financial or neglecting, which affects their quality of living. In the context of a school in India, bullying can either be through superior figures like school staff, seniors or equal figures like peers. I dealt with all, and it has affected my quality of life. I'm still trying my best to survive, and there are millions like me in India, who want the Central Government of India to enact a comprehensive law against bullying.

Statistics:

According to a study conducted by Sujata Sethi et al in urban Rohtak, Haryana, India, where a total of 370 students participated, with most of students being from urban area and were from middle or low socioeconomic strata (SES), a total of 43% of all students were involved in bullying. A study conducted by Malhi et al reported prevalence as high as 53% in school children in North India. According to another study , conducted by Bhagiaswari Kodapally et al in Kozhikode, Kerala where a total of 764 students participated, 117 (15.3%) respondents reported being bullied at least twice a month. Googling, one can find a limited amount of statistics and subtle information only, revealing the dystopia that Indian academics is. According to a study by Monica Rana et al among school-going adolescents in Chandigarh, North India, Boys had significantly higher risk of being a victim or bully as compared with the girls. These days, the increasing number of news on bullying remind us that it's high time we, as the largest democracy in the world, need to take holistic action against this fatal phenomenon. 

Repercussions:  

Bullying can lead to a wide range of problems. Mentally, a student can develop various illnesses like depression, anxiety etc. A child can develop low self-esteem due to the incident(s) chipping away their self-worth, leaving them feeling inadequate and unworthy. In extreme cases, the relentless torment of bullying can push children to contemplate self-harm or even suicide. Academically, the emotional turmoil caused by bullying can severely hamper a child’s concentration and performance. Social Isolation is another repercussion where victims often withdraw from social interactions, fearing further ridicule and rejection. It takes lots of efforts to recover from this tragedy. 

However, in India, due to the shame attached to reporting crimes and the absence of a comprehensive law against bullying, children often remain silent and continue to have mental, emotional and behavioural issues. This is unpardonable since we're losing the biggest asset of our country, the youth, just because some of them are different from others. 

Legal limitations:-

Although various fundamental rights come to practice when a child is being bullied, there's no single provision against it. Articles 14-15, 17, 21 and 21-A are some indicative of such a possibility, but still we need a comprehensive law which covers each of the legal points. 

Disability and bullying: 

(Copied from AI)

Children with disabilities in India face significantly higher risks of school-level bullying, often 3-4 times more than their peers, experiencing verbal, physical, and emotional abuse. This pervasive issue, often ignored by school staff, results in severe mental health impacts and lower social integration. Visible disabilities frequently draw greater bullying, impacting education access. 

Key Aspects of Bullying of Children with Disabilities (CwD) in India

High Vulnerability: Studies show students with disabilities (SwD) are much more likely to be victims of violence, with risks often peaking between ages 13-15.

Types of Abuse: Victims experience direct bullying (verbal, physical) and indirect, such as relational bullying, emotional abuse, and tampering with disability aids.

Perpetrators: Bullying often comes from peers, but reports indicate instances of harassment by teachers and school staff.

Impact: Bullying contributes to poor mental health, low self-esteem, and school dropouts.

Invisible vs. Visible Disabilities: While all children with disabilities are at risk, those with visible disabilities often face higher rates of bullying. 

Causes include inadequate inclusion, lack of awareness and insufficient infrastructure. 

Clash of neurodivergence:

Neurodivergent students in India face high rates of bullying due to rigid, neuro-normative academic structures, lack of teacher training, and social stigma. They are often targeted for different mannerisms or communication difficulties, resulting in severe emotional, social, and academic consequences. Key Issues in India are high vulnerability, systemic neglect and lack of awareness. Intersectionality is a risk factor. (Read the whole text here)

Demand:

Let's demand the law makers and the policymakers of India to come forward, acknowledge this issue, and establish legislation that recognizes the various repercussions of bullying. Let's make the world safer for the upcoming generations. 

Let's demand our legislature to make laws against all forms of school level abuse/bullying !!!!

Key points:

- Rehabilitation measures for the survivors 

- Comprehensive attention to intersectionality and thus special provisions

- Regular sensitization classes for all - from the principal to the students.

Information credits:

Kodapally B, Mathews E, Kodali PB, Thankappan KR. Bullying victimization and its associated factors among adolescents in Kozhikode district, Kerala, India: a mixed-methods study [version 1; peer review: 1 approved]. Wellcome Open Res. 2021 Sep 7;6:223. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17102.1. PMID: 35693331; PMCID: PMC7612838

Malhi P, Bharti B, Sidhu M. Aggression in schools: psychological outcomes of bullying among Indian adolescents. Indian Journal of Pediatrics 2014, 11:1171-1176.

Patel HA, Varma J, Shah S, Phatak A, Nimbalkar SM. Profile of Bullies and  Victims among Urban School-going Adolescents in Gujarat. Indian Paediatrics 2017, 54(10):841-843.