A Psychologist and lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Collins Agyemang Badu has advised parents to pay extra attention to the outlooks of their wards.
He said by so doing, they will be able to determine in a timely manner, if their children are going though any difficulties.
Reacting to the viral video of a student bullying his fellow student in Adisadel College on Ghana Tonight on 25th July, 2023, the Psychologist noted that parents who take their wards to boarding schools have extra duties to perform.
Dr. Badu said such parents must pay particular attention to the physical appearance of their wards in order to identify any weird or unusual change that may occur on any part of their bodies.
“As a parent, you must know the outlook of your child. If you take the decision to take your ward to the boarding house, then you must be at the school regularly. Check on your child regularly, get to know everything that happens to him or her regularly.”
The Psychologist added that parents should engage their children regularly to know what is happening to them. According to him, children are more likely to share their challenges with parents who are very open and warm in nature, than very strict and disciplinarian ones.
“Sometimes family risk factors such as lack of supervision. I don’t care syndrome; the child is grown to take of himself etc. Also, chaos at home makes it difficult for children to be able to share their challenges with their parents” he stated.
Dr. Badu further called on authorities of boarding schools to also be mindful of their schools’ set up. He said usually, students in the struggle for social power tend to exhibit certain behaviors that are uncalled for. “An example is when a popular student bullies a junior student at school, he does that just for fame to assume some popularity in order to sustain his social power,” the Psychologist explained.
There is currently a video circulating on social media which captures two students of Adisadel College in Cape Coast. In the video, an older student was seen strangling younger student and hitting his face against a metal bunk bed. This resulted in the victim sustaining bruises on his face.
Meanwhile, authorities of the school have suspended the perpetrator, who is expected to write his West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at the WAEC center, whereas the victim has also been suspended, but will write his exams on campus with parental escort.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) in a subsequent press statement on Tuesday, signed by the Head of the Public Relations Unit, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, commended the Management of Adisadel College for the swift action on the matter.
By Clara Konadu Boadi