For many students, bullying is something they see, experience or hear about, but rarely talk about openly. Now, students trained in citizen journalism are trying to change that. They are investigating issues affecting students, including bullying, and finding ways to give their peers a safer voice.
Bullying can happen in classrooms, on playgrounds or online. But for students who experience it, speaking up can be just as difficult as dealing with the bullying itself.
Among the issues identified by students trained in citizen journalism, bullying has emerged as a key concern.
Samtse Primary School has responded to the concern by developing a Safe Voice reporting system, giving their students a private way to raise concerns.
Students can select their class and identify who needs help. They can then choose the type of problem and provide details, or choose not to explain if the matter is too personal.
“We have four steps. First, students provide information about themselves, such as their class, section and name. Second, they can choose who needs help, whether they are reporting for themselves, for a friend or something they have witnessed. Third is issue categorisation, where they can choose from seven questions to indicate the problem they are facing. If they do not want to explain what happened, they can simply press the SOS button. They can also select multiple options so that we know what kind of problems they are facing,” said Richa Chhetri, a student of Samtse Primary School.
The school says students are already using the system to report bullying.
According to the school, 37 students have reported bullying cases through the portal, of which 27 have been resolved. Eleven of those were classified as urgent.
Tashi Wangchuk, a teacher at the school, said,“Since then, the students have started to come forward with their issues. The portal is supervised by five designated members who monitor the cases.”
Since early this year, Media and Democracy Club coordinators from ten schools have been trained in citizen journalism and media and information literacy by experts from Deutsche Welle Akademie.
The training encourages them to identify problems in their own schools and communities, gather information and evidence, and explore possible solutions.
Students involved in the programme in other schools are also trying to understand its impact.
“We hope to raise awareness among students and help them understand bullying and how it can affect their mental health. Through citizen journalism, we can bring these issues to the media and give students a platform to share their experiences. Instead of keeping our problems to ourselves, citizen journalism has helped us speak up and let others know what students are going through,” said Karma Choden, a student of Peljorling Higher Secondary School, Samtse.
The students are also looking into public health, water and sanitation, environmental concerns, safety, education, digital access and other issues affecting their communities.
BCMD Programme Officer Jigme Khandu said, “We help them turn those concerns into evidence, stories and actions and create opportunities for them to engage directly with the decision-makers and other stakeholders. It is really about helping the young people find their voice and participate meaningfully and responsibly in their democratic life.”
For these students, addressing bullying begins with creating a safe space to speak about it. And through citizen journalism, they are learning to turn those concerns into stories, evidence and action, giving students a stronger voice in addressing problems that affect their everyday lives.
Anita Chhetri
Edited by Sangay Chezom
