Bullying at a Zimbabwean Boarding School: Views of Bullies, Victims, and Bystanders

Bullying at schools has been reported to be problematic with regards to students' safety and academic achievement. Inasmuch as various scholars have delved into the problem of bullying, few have focused the issue from the perspective of the bully, the victim, and the bystander. The aim of this study is to discover and understand bullying behaviours at a Zimbabwean co-ed rural boarding school focusing specifically on the perceptions of students who identified themselves as bullies, victims, and bystanders. Participants (N = 6) were students at the school and identified themselves as bullies, victims, or bystanders. Data was collected mainly through interviews done behind closed doors for privacy purposes and also through observation technique. The results of this case study research showed that bullying was rife at the boarding school with school prefects using their position to bully other students. In addition, victims protected bullies and bystanders felt powerless to intervene least they become the next victim. The study also found that causes of bullying were intrinsic, inherent hatred, home background status, teacher favouritism, jealousy, unreported previous cases, complacency of teachers and lack of concrete structures that keep bullying under constant check. The study recommended that schools have concrete, rigorously enforced anti-bullying structures, rules, and regulations, with students being conscientized on the ills of bullying behaviour. Students across schools should be empowered to report bullying so that they do not suffer in silence.