Those who get bullied in their school years or even college know how stressful and hard it is to be treated like that. It can severely impact anyone’s mental health, and this can lead to even worse consequences. And this is no new thing, there have been many instances where bullying has cost someone’s life, you know? India too has this bullying problem, but not as much as other Western countries, but still, it is something we need to address. So, let’s get to know what laws are there against bullying in India.
What Is The Current Situation Regarding This Bullying Thing In India?
You might not think of it as a big issue, but it is true that a lot of students in Indian schools and colleges are bullied, which sure is a big problem. It’s behavior that hurts someone physically or mentally over and over again or on purpose. This includes acts of violence, fear, and bias against people because of their gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or anything like that. Sure, there aren’t special or specific laws against bullying, but there are laws that deal with such extremely bad cases. According to Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), if bullying causes a person to commit suicide, the bully (the aggressor) can be charged with aiding the suicide. There are other examples too, like Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with criminal harassment. Section 509 deals with actions that are meant to insult a woman’s modesty, and Section 323 deals with hurting someone. These can be helpful in cases of bullying, but they don’t say anything about bullying directly, so they don’t cover all forms of bullying.
How Schools and Colleges Are Fighting Back?
Nowadays, things are a bit different, and sure, Indian schools and colleges are doing more to stop bullying. They have to make and follow anti-bullying rules that explain what happens when someone bullies others and how to stop it. If we want to eliminate this bullying thing from our society, schools, and colleges, everyone, including students, teachers, and staff, should understand these rules. It is very important to make sure that students feel safe and supported so that they can report bullying. And yes, people who have been abused can get help from their teachers, the school administration, or the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). On top of that, the law also protects the victims and witnesses from more harm by making sure that their names are kept secret, no matter what.
What Happens to Bullies?
Students who are caught bullying will be punished severely. Depending on how bad the bullying is, students may get warned, be suspended, or even be kicked out of school. Though, in the worst cases, bullies can be charged with a crime and sent to prison. This is a good way to stop bullying and hold bullies accountable, you know?
The Impact of Bullying on Students
If you have been bullied in your childhood, you’ll understand on a deeper level that bullying can have terrible effects on a person’s mind and emotions, causing anxiety, sadness, panic attacks, and other mental health problems. Victims often have low self-esteem and may stop hanging out with other people. And it is no wonder that bullying can trigger suicidal ideas or self-harm in extreme cases. Bullying can make it difficult for students to learn and build healthy relationships, which can hurt their overall health and development.
What Educational Boards Are Doing
Sure, on the surface, there have been big steps taken by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to stop bullying. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has told CBSE schools to set up anti-ragging groups to keep an eye on bullying and deal with it when it happens. Though, notifications must also be posted in schools to tell students about the effects of bullying. With these steps, the goal is to make students more aware of how important bullying is and how harsh punishments will be for bullies.
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