If anyone believes that bullying has some positive effects, please leave such notions behind before meeting Dr. Jai Ranjan Ram.
The consultant psychiatrist is absolutely clear on what bullying is. “Bullying is a form of abuse,” he says. “It can be emotional or physical and, in extreme cases, even sexual.”
Asked what makes people bully others, Ram said the core reason was often lack of empathy, where an individual doesn’t understand the impact of their actions on another person’s mind.
My Kolkata had got in touch with the psychiatrist to better understand how an institutional environment could turn hostile, in the light of recent events that claimed the life of a Jadavpur University student, where the brutal impact of bullying became impossible to ignore any longer.
A word of caution, though. The following article, the second of a three-part series, describes bullying in detail, and can be triggering.
Dr Jai Ranjan Ram
Mob psychology enables abuse
According to Ram, bullying generally happens in a group setting where mob psychology enables the abuse. “If I bully someone alone, I might feel guilty and it could prick my conscience. But if the whole class gets together and bullies the person, I am more likely to think, ‘If my friends are doing this, there must be something wrong with this person and they probably deserve to be bullied.’ There is legitimacy in a group setting, and actions become socially sanctioned.”
He cited the recent case at the city-based university where bullying appears to have been a common practice that allegedly went unchecked because it was administered in groups. That, in turn, he says, leads to a vicious cycle where the lack of consequence can embolden the bully further. “If you are a bully in an institution and no one dares to question you, it will bring a sense of omnipotence, where you feel that whatever you are doing is fine.”
Ram also delved into the psychology of group leaders, saying that some of these people use bullying to maintain their social hierarchy through such actions. “If I want to become a leader in my hostel or classroom, I will bully someone in front of everyone. This shows them that I am the top dog, and if anyone dares to cross my path, they will meet the same fate as this person whom I have bullied. It squashes anyone who has the courage to question my actions, and is aided by a complete failure of institutional discipline.”
There is legitimacy in a group setting, and actions become socially sanctioned, says Dr Ram
Awareness is the key
Is there any way to check such tendencies?
“Prompt action,” Ram replies, adding that the degree of bullying can gradually intensify if not stifled at the onset.
The perpetrators can even psychologically twist facts to legitimise the abuse, he says. “Bullies often justify their behaviour by saying things like, ‘This is a cultural practice to make him part of the group,’ or, ‘He was a sissy, so we are toughening him up for the real world.’ They profess that they are doing it for the greater good, which is nonsense. It is about social capital.”
While bullying most commonly leads to a long-term impact on children (the previous article in this series dealt with this aspect), it can also have a huge impact on adults, Ram says. “Even a 35-year-old who is transferred to a new location can be bullied by peers because he is seen as an ‘outsider’. The impact is severe for all ages because, essentially, the person is made to feel small because they are different, and it is drilled into their heads that something is deeply wrong with them.”
Even a 35-year-old who is transferred to a new location can be bullied by peers because he is seen as an ‘outsider’
When it comes to prevention, Ram stresses that awareness is the key. Rather than ignoring that bullying happens on campuses, he urges institutions to acknowledge its existence and take sincere measures to stop it.
“The institute must clearly communicate that bullying is a severely punishable offence, and a bully will be called out. We have seen how, when they have let this slide, it has led to unspeakable tragedy. People need to appreciate the gravity of the situation and talk about it openly.”
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If you or someone around you is being bullied, please ask for help, immediately.
Here are a few resources that can help:
24x7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline- KIRAN 1800-599-0019
Childline India Foundation (CIF) - www.childlineindia.org.in, helpline: 1098
West Bengal Commission of Protection of Child Rights - 9836300300
National Cyber Bullying Reporting Portal helpline – 1930
Free legal aid to children and women- National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) www.nalsa.gov.in
POCSO E-box by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) along with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)- pocso.ncpcrweb.in
