Investigation finds bullying and violence ‘widespread’ at Bishops boarding houses – News 2oceansvibe

(Image source: Episcopal Diocesan College / Facebook)

This has been a turbulent year for boys’ schools in South Africa, so it was only right that an independent investigation was carried out into allegations of bullying and violence at one of our best private schools.

After a brutal attack in October that left a boy in hospital for two days, an independent inquiry into bullying at the diocesan Bishops’ College found that violence, bullying and intimidation were rife in several of the school’s boarding schools.

Although seven students were charged with “violating the school’s code of conduct” as a result of the attack in October, the school felt it was necessary to “set up a commission of two or three independent investigators with sufficient experience” to look into the scourge of bullying that is haunting the corridors of bishops

News24 reports that in an email to parents and guardians on Tuesday, Principal Tony Rieler said the commission will determine the extent of bullying at Bishops in terms of grades and buildings (boarding and day care), investigate the extent of any code of secrecy, make recommendations to the school to address any identified problems and determining whether the school diligently followed its own procedures.

According to the first reports, there were cases of bed-turning, punching, whipping or any other form of abuse or violence, both in personal experience and in the experience of others.

After analyzing the questionnaires and conducting interviews with staff and some parents, attorney Lynette Myburg said;

“Very few reported these incidents and some said they would not report them at all. Further investigation should reveal the reasons or evidence for this lack of reporting.”

Relatedly, several parents who responded to the survey said they were aware of bullying issues, with more than half of respondents choosing not to report incidents.

“While it appears that this problem is indeed widespread, more information needs to be gathered to determine the true extent of the problem and identify areas in the school that may need attention.”

Myburg emphasized that while the investigation revealed serious concerns, there were also notable positives reported. Several students who were “used as puppets” turned out to be “mature and insightful young people who could make a significant contribution to finding a solution.”

Principal Tony Rieler assured parents that the school would continue to take steps to address the issue, including bringing in the services of clinical psychologist Pam Tudin to help affected students.

The second phase of the investigation will begin in 2025 and “investigations into any specific incidents will continue and be thorough, all cases will be carried over from 2024 until they are satisfactorily resolved in the new year.”

“One thing should be clear – we all want the same result. We want our boarding schools (and our school in general) to be safe, happy places where our boys can flourish and outmoded traditions are rooted out.”

“Any form of abuse, whether physical, verbal or emotional, has no place at Bishops. We want our boys to feel free to report, without any stigma, when they are in pain. We want our parents who notice signs of abuse to feel comfortable reporting it to the authorities, confident that their concerns will be addressed.”

While bullying occurs in most schools, incidents at boys’ schools can be particularly brutal as young men struggle to cope with high testosterone in an environment that often resembles life in a wolf pack. Harassment, intimidation and what we old-timers called “sotte“a preschool topic for many parents who lived through the eighties and nineties.

Some may point to positive moments growing up when they were “humiliated” by their peers at school, but fond memories of having to eat sottepapor being moer’ed in ‘king van de spotters‘ often excludes children who are permanently affected by archaic traditions.

Violence is violence no matter what you call it, so kudos to the Bishops for saying enough is enough.

(source:news24)