Acting Inspector of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) Zachary Hippolyte, this week called for a Standard Operating Procedure to deal with bullying in schools as the problem worsens.
Over the past few months, a number of bullying incidents have made its way to social media, drawing attention to this critical issue.
Describing the situation as a perennial problem, Hippolyte, in an interview with Timothy Poleon this week, said he is “tired of seeing victims” in a state of despondency.
“We’re called to the schools or they come to our department and they have this sense of hopelessness,” Hippolyte said, explaining that at times when students go to teachers or principals “nothing happens.”
Thus, he stated, “we need a policy on bullying, something to guide the Ministry, the police, the schools.”
He also indicated that sometimes students’ concerns are not taken seriously and can be dismissed as trivial.
“…And you can see that child is deeply affected,” Hippolyte said, adding that a Standard Operating Procedure “needs to be enacted to address that child’s concerns… it’s overdue.”
Whilst Education Minister Shawn Edward recently stated that acts of bullying will not be tolerated, Hippolyte said without guidelines in place, “I don’t know… you need a guideline or a policy because with a policy we’re all on the same page.”
Furthermore, he explained, “it is with operating procedures that we know what to do if something occurs. When it comes to discipline I do not believe schools should be operating in isolation. We must have a standard policy and I’m praying for it because it’s important.”
“Let’s come together,” he urged those in authority, to “make this policy happen. Most times what the teachers/principals would resort to is to reassign the affected student to another class or the ‘perpetrator’ if you want to use that term, but they’re still in the same school so it’s not enough.”
Hippolyte also highlighted the need for more counsellors in schools.
Mr Edward, for his part, has made it clear that any student caught recording a fight with the intention of sharing it on social media will face severe consequences once there is evidence of their involvement.