Abuja, Nigeria. February 21st, 2022 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that 34 percent of adult Nigerians have disclosed that they experienced some form of bullying during their secondary school days. More findings from the poll revealed that physical (65 percent), extreme punishment (46 percent) and exploitation (24 percent) are the top three forms of bullying mostly experienced in various secondary schools across the country.
Reports of bullying of students across secondary schools in Nigeria is now becoming the norm. Some of the victims suffer physical and mental trauma, while others lose their lives in the process. Very recently, 12-year-old, Sylvester Oromoni, a Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) student of Dowen College, in the Lekki axis of Lagos State, tragically died under controversial circumstances leading to a public outcry. The late Dowen student was reportedly said to have been bullied by the boys in his school who were quite older than him.1
Insights from the poll results further revealed that 82 percent of adult Nigerians interviewed believe that bullying in secondary schools in the country is prevalent. However, it is worrisome that out of the (34 percent) who have been bullied before, (70 percent) did not report the incident while (27 percent) said they reported the incident. Also, of the (27 percent) who mentioned that they reported, (41 percent) of them claimed that nothing was done to the perpetrators after they were reported. Opinions on causes of bullying revealed cultism as the main cause of bullying in secondary schools as stated by (27 percent) of the respondents interviewed. While this is followed by those who attributed it to poor upbring (19 percent), 17 percent ascribed it to lack of morals and fear of God.
With regards to the solution to this menace, 31 percent of the respondents recommended that CCTV cameras should be installed to monitor activities in secondary schools. Also, 14 percent advocated for a policy on bullying given that there are no specific anti-bullying laws and policies implemented in secondary schools. Given the current situation, there is an urgent need for extensive implementation of legislations that will define prohibited bullying behaviours, reporting requirements, investigation process, and method of sanctions.
These are the key highlights from the Bullying Poll conducted in the week commencing February 14th, 2022.
Commenti