Staff Reporter
Rtnn: Tahmina Yasmin (pseudonym) is a homemaker residing in Lalmatia in the capital city. 

In her childhood, she was actively engaged in cultural activities, supported and encouraged by her family. Her aspirations revolved around becoming a prominent dancer. 

Tragically, the sudden demise of her father led to a disruption in their family. Amidst her college studies, she got married, ushering in a new phase of life where she became involved in various cultural pursuits. Yet, she harbored a persistent dream. 

With the intent of fulfilling her unfulfilled dream through her daughter, she enrolled her in a dance school, noticing the girl's profound inclination towards dancing. 

Tahmina created a dedicated social media page on Facebook for her daughter, regularly sharing videos of the ten-year-old showcasing her dancing skills. 

However, amidst the positive responses, sporadic negative comments surfaced. Initially dismissive of these comments, Tahmina became deeply concerned upon witnessing obscene and offensive remarks from netizens directed at various child artists, including her daughter, morphed into memes and subject to trolling by adults. 

She became apprehensive, particularly about her daughter's safety. Consequently, she scaled back the frequency of uploading her daughter's videos on Facebook, and regrettably, her daughter's enthusiasm for dancing waned.

Similarly, Sohail Rahman (pseudonym), employed in a private company, has a parallel experience. His eight-year-old son, unusually articulate for his age, displayed a penchant for articulating deep and sensible thoughts. 

Sohail occasionally posted videos of his son's eloquent speeches online. However, an incident occurred when his son's response to a journalist's question on a special occasion, though innocently offered, became a subject of ridicule among social media users. 

Fearing the potential exploitation of his son's images or comments, Sohail promptly removed all online content featuring his son.

Nafisa Islam (pseudonym), a resident of Rampura, faced a less severe yet distressing issue. Her thirteen-year-old son, attending an English medium school, has had vision problems since birth and requires glasses for improved sight. His classmates have resorted to taunting him with the nickname "Kana" (meaning visually impaired), causing deep distress to both mother and son. Despite Nafisa's attempts to address this matter with other children's parents and teachers, the jokes persist, leading to her son's reluctance to attend school.

The plight faced by Tahmina, Sohail, and Nafisa is not unique; numerous parents grapple with similar unexpected experiences involving their children across various age groups. 

Children are often subjected to teasing, both online and offline, by peers, friends, relatives, or neighbors. 

Such teasing may target children's names, physical attributes, habits, or behaviours under the guise of amusement, yet this can pose a severe threat to the child's well-being. 

The seemingly harmless teasing may have a detrimental impact on the child's mental health, potentially leading to long-term consequences.

Grave impacts of bullying
Experts regard such jesting or pranks, whether by peers or through online channels, as a form of "bullying." Farzana Fatema Rumi, a psychologist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), categorizes such actions as a variant of bullying, impacting not just the children directly involved but also those who witness it. 

Witnessing a child being bullied can instill a sense of insecurity in others, hindering their emotional development and creativity. Victims may grapple with behavioural and psychological issues in the future, as early experiences significantly shape human personality.

Dr Salahuddin Kausar Biblab, a psychiatry professor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), emphasizes that bullied children may endure mental health issues, leading to an inferiority complex, anxiety, and potentially even personality disorders, or in extreme cases, suicidal tendencies. 

He underscored the importance of awareness in addressing such situations, urging for a thoughtful approach to commenting or joking about children online or offline.

Prominent in schools
Bullying predominantly manifests in educational settings, as highlighted by a 2019 Unicef survey reporting that one in four students in Bangladesh experiences bullying by peers. 

Dr Zia Rahman, a professor in the Criminology Department at Dhaka University, warned that bullied children might develop a negative perspective towards society and, in turn, may become prone to criminal behavior in the future. 

He advocated for social awareness to combat bullying, emphasizing the necessity of promoting cultural activities and sports to engage children positively.

Regarding cyberbullying, Dr Zia Rahman stressed the need for guidelines on social media usage to differentiate between harmless fun and harmful actions. Alongside awareness, proper legal measures are crucial to prevent cyberbullying. 

Need to raise voice
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Nazmul Islam said that police members are always playing an active role in curbing cyberbullying. 

Acknowledging a rise in complaints related to online harassment from teenagers, he said, There is an increased tendency among people to protest and approach the police more than before. We receive about 25-30 online harassment complaints every day. About 70% of these complaints come from teenagers.

The police official said that all the complaints received regarding cybercrime are regularly monitored and the police make 100% efforts to address them. He said that currently the cybercrime unit of Bangladesh Police is very proficient in technical skills.

According to him, if the police are not informed, the police have no chance to help. Therefore, Nazmul Islam urged the media to encourage the common people to report complaints to the police.

The distressing experiences faced by parents and children due to teasing or bullying demand a collective effort from society, parents, educators, law enforcement, and media. 

Heightened awareness, proper guidelines, and a proactive approach to prevent and address such issues are essential to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for children's mental well-being.