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PART I: BULLYING
She slandered me, and my classmates told me about it.
After that, I went to her school and bullied her
On the afternoon of February 9, 2023, a short video clip surfaced on social media of a schoolgirl stripped of her shirt, sitting crouched with her arms to cover the chest.
A was one of three schoolgirls aged 12 - 13 who engaged in beating the victim. The incident immediately went viral on social media, causing indignation because of its violent nature. The police had to intervene to clarify the case.
Without meeting her in person, it is hard to believe that this seventh grader has ever joined others to bully friends.
A looks naïve with her clear, childlike eyes…
- “I once hit a girl from another school. When she was beaten and stripped of her shirt, I recorded the scene and posted it on social media”, A said.
A did not know how she was slandered, she just heard the story from her friends.
At first, she had no intention of hitting the girl.
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Actually I didn't care about it at first. But when N asked me to go to that school to meet the girl, I agreed. When N beat her, I followed suit
Mr. Ho Tuan Anh, Principal of Quynh Phuong Secondary School in Hoang Mai district of Nghe An province, where both A and N were attending, said that the incident shocked the school and the whole locality.
The incident happened on Sunday after the Lunar New Year holiday. The school management intervened to clarify the case following meetings with both A and N along with their parents.
Why have gentle and cheerful schoolgirls performed such spontaneous actions?
But few people know that the bully has also been bullied.
Gloating moments passed quickly, giving way to regret, torment, and obsession. When A calmly re-watched the clip she recorded herself, she felt very sorry.
A had also been beaten by her classmates, and her recorded clip had also been uploaded on social network. The clip aroused ‘black memories’ and reminded her of the injuries she has suffered.
It was when A was a sixth grader. She was threatened by a group of classmates and bullied many times on the way back from school.
It didn't just happen once.
When I was in sixth grade, my friends teased me and beat me once. After that, my friends continued to tease and bully me so that I couldn’t study
On hearing about the incident, A’s parents went to meet her form teacher and the school’s management to clarify the bullying case. They even requested them to move her daughter to another school.
But teacher Tuan Anh had persuaded A's parents to let her stay.
They grabbed my hair, hit me, kicked me, and sat on my head. They also threatened to beat me more if I spoke out
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I have talked to and provided psychological consultations for those who bullied her. Teachers will act as a bridge to make school students’ relationship better, as well as to help them feel comfortable and happy when they go to school.
It’s better if your daughter attends this school close to your home. You should consider this carefully", Mr. Tuan Anh said.
From being caught A to being a bully.
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Principal Tuan Anh said that at this time A seems quieter and more mature. She is now willing to share and reflect on what she has caused.
“Meeting her parents, I advised them to keep calm and talk to their daughter with all their love, as if they are talking to a friend, avoiding beating or insulting her, because doing so will hurt their daughter more. Parents need to treat this as a pitiful incident instead of a deplorable one.
For the school’s disciplinary council, teachers also need to pay attention to care and give more love to those students”, said Mr Tuan Anh.
Parents need to treat this as a pitiful incident instead of a deplorable one
From falling victim to school violence, A later became a bully at school. For A, she has now received her parents’ care and her teachers’ encouragement - a fulcrum for her to strive to be better and more mature after her wrongdoings.
After bullying the girl, A and his family visited and conveyed an apology to the girl, and the apology was accepted by the victim.
