Is Homeschooling a Smart Way to Prevent Bullying?

Bullying is an act of harassing and threatening someone, usually powerless. This may occur at any place and to anyone. The most prevalent form is bullying in school. Almost every one of us, at some point in our school life, must have been bullied or encountered someone being bullied.

In response to their kid being bullied, many parents have opted for homeschooling to prevent their kids from getting bullied at school. But the question is - Does this step stop bullying? No, it doesn't. A school is just a place where kids with bullying behavior are frequently confronted. Shifting to homeschooling would just lower the chances of the kid getting bullied at school and doesn't promise the same for the future. Homeschooling somewhat lacks interactions and exposure, raising the chances of the kid turning out to be quiet, introverted, and shy. The kids who are being homeschooled will one day have to step out into society and face humans of all kinds and natures. And what if they then get bullied? How to stop bullying?

Speaking from my personal experience, I strongly believe that bullying needs to be strictly confronted and resisted to be stopped. Since my childhood, I have been constantly bullied for stammering. I tried all possible ways to get rid of it. I requested the bullies, ignored them, and even tried to befriend them thinking that it would stop them from bullying me. But trust me when I say that until and unless you counterattack the bullies and make them realize how oppressing and tyrannical they are and how disgusting it makes them, they just won't stop. When someone faces such a problem at school and decides to go for homeschooling, they are not preventing the problem. They are just passing it to another vulnerable person who could have been saved if only the former one had taken a stand against the bullies. 

Considering Sending your Kids for Offline Classes?

Children spend around one-third of their day at schools making the school responsible for instilling in them basic human behavior and moral values. School authorities must be responsible for how a kid is being treated at the school premises because how a person is treated is something that can never be compromised. They must conduct frequent anti-bullying programs with the active involvement of parents and teachers to make them aware of the long-term pathetic influence bullying has. Bullying can force someone into taking their own life. The list of suicides attributed to bullying is too long to be mentioned. For the sake of the mental and physical well-being of the students, our country sternly needs to bring in a separate legislature regarding school bullying. Bullying prevention activities should be promoted.

To establish a sense of closure, I would like to mention that homeschooling is more of a selfish and apprehensive way than a smart way to prevent bullying. Bullies are never greater than the authorities. All that is needed is a voice raised against them. Amidst the ongoing situation, homeschooling is certainly a preferable option but going for it to avoid bullies reflects naivety. Let's never forget that - ' Strong people stand up for themselves but the strongest people stand up for others.'

Also Read: Homeschooling is the New Norm with Arti Rohra