A Grade 11 learner, this week, poured his heart out about his ordeal at the hands of a school bully who has made his life a living hell.
Amir Jaggernath of Lincoln Heights Secondary School has been the victim of bullying since 2020. Speaking to the Newcastle Express with a swollen face and bust lip, Amir claims that teachers no longer know what to do as the situation has reached a point of no return. “The problem began when one of my friends had a problem with the boy who is currently bullying me. So because I am a quiet person, I somehow became the victim in this situation,” he said. The situation then took a turn when the boy allegedly cornered Amir and assaulted him with knuckle dusters. “He bust my lip, bruised my face and I cannot turn my neck because of the pain. I have asked him time and time again to leave me alone. What really angered me was when he swore my mother,” explained Amir.
The situation has reached the point that Amir, 17, has received death threats via WhatsApp and is now afraid to go to school. Rajendra Jaggernath, Amir’s dad, says that the situation is out of control. “This boy has been interfering with my son since last year. Amir has tried to calm the situation but to no avail. I want to make it known that we are so fed up of bullying. My son is not the type to go looking for fights. He walked away from the situation with physical bruises. This boy then tripped him from the back. This behaviour is unacceptable. He was attacked with a knuckle duster while he was on the floor,” explained Raj. The principal of Lincoln Heights Secondary School, Mr R Naicker, said: “We at Lincoln Heights Secondary School take bullying very seriously. I have contacted the parents of Amir and we are going to thoroughly investigate this situation. We as a school also urge parents to report bullying to us so that we can deal with it further. We have a very strict anti-bullying campaign and this will not be tolerated.”
According to psychologist Ronelle Venter, one of the most painful aspects of bullying is when it is persistent.“Most children can take one episode of teasing or name-calling, however, when it goes on and on – bullying can put a child in a state of fear. Children who are bullied may find that their school work and their health are suffering. Children who are abused by their peers are at risk for mental health problems such as low self-esteem, stress, depression and have suicidal thoughts. So an issue like this one needs urgent attention,” said Venter. Bullying in schools has become an urgent concern for community members. According to studies from the Psychology and Wellness Centre of South Africa, bullying has affected millions of learners and two of the main reasons for children being picked on are because of their looks and social status. Some bullies physically attack their target, which can mean anything from tripping, shoving or assaulting. Rajendra and Amir hope to have some sort of peace from this bully and are going about the correct way in order to rectify the situation.
