Kenya: Breaking the silence on school abuse

DW (English)

Bullying has been banned in Kenyan high schools for over a decade. But rather than disappearing, it’s simply changed shape. Now, some people who experienced bullying before the ban are speaking out, working to understand its impact and make schools safer. In this segment, we meet Trevor, who shares his story, and how he found a way to move forward.

Transcript

00:00It made me lose a sense of safety and part of my identity.

00:06It was dehumanizing.

00:09Let me just take a quick minute.

00:12Trevor is revisiting a painful chapter from his past.

00:16Like nearly 86% of Kenyan students, he was bullied during his first year of high school.

00:21His experience was severe.

00:23With the help of experts, Trevor has agreed to revisit this experience

00:26to understand bullying's causes and impacts.

00:29A student will be sent to me after they've experienced bullying.

00:32And the first thing I do is try and just make it very safe for them.

00:36And then we actually discuss what bullying is about.

00:39Trevor's first experience with bullying began at a public boys boarding high school during his first year.

00:44There, older pupils, including prefects, were allowed to punish younger ones.

00:49For example, if my bed is not made quite straight, they're like,

00:52this is the reason for you to be whipped, so I get whipped.

00:55Pupils call this monolization.

00:57It's a hazing ritual in many Kenyan high schools where students in their last year of high school bully those in their first year.

01:04Leila Guiyo says this creates a vicious cycle.

01:07This pattern of abuse can lead to serious emotional and physical harm.

01:12I remember one instance. I'm fresh out of the shower, preparing to go for dinner.

01:18And so I have my towel wrapped up around me.

01:20And one of them tells me to climb up my bed because I used to sleep on the top bunker.

01:24Tells me to hang on top of the ceiling because it was an open ceiling.

01:30And then he gives me some context. He's like, I know you've watched action movies, right?

01:35Every time I shoot you, fall down in slow motion. We're going to do this as many times as we can until you get the right shot.

01:41I did that, God knows how many times I ended up bruising my ankle.

01:46That was one of those experiences that caused a tipping point for me.

01:50When somebody experiences any form of stomach, what adolescents do is that they dissociate.

01:56Dissociating is, in simple terms, is you just lock it out in your mind.

02:01When that happens, usually in the most uneventful moments, then the effects will be seen.

02:09For Trevor, this happened after he transferred to a private day school that he enjoyed.

02:14One day he blanked out and woke up in hospital.

02:17I see my mom and my family around me and I'm like, what's going on?

02:20They tell me, you started eating chalk. That's when I first was diagnosed with PTSD.

02:26Studies show up to 37% of bullying victims may experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

02:32In 2013, Kenya banned bullying in schools, but it hasn't disappeared.

02:37It's not just a social problem, it is a public health problem, it's a mental health problem.

02:42Dr. Agri Mokhaya's research found that nearly 94% of depressed children had experienced bullying,

02:48with bullying significantly increasing the likelihood of depression.

02:52We have more mental health services, but it's not enough.

02:56We don't have enough psychiatrists, we don't have enough psychologists.

03:00Trevor was lucky to have support outside of school.

03:03His parents put him in therapy and he took up writing to cope.

03:06Writing became my anchor. It was one avenue that I needed not to mask the pain.

03:13I could actually be able to process what I was going through and what I was feeling.

03:18Today, Trevor thrives at work, life and has a happy dog named Max.

03:23He's moved forward, but still reaches back to help others.

03:27I wanted to create an enabling environment for kids who have gone through traumatic experiences

03:34to realise that what you're going through is not right. It's not your fault.

03:40So Trevor launched the Anti-Bullying and Rape Initiative.

03:43He stages interventions in schools, speaking directly to students about bullying.

03:48It's such a thrill and it's such a joy for me to see and experience what I didn't have through these kids.

03:55Trevor is still working to bring his program to more schools.

03:59Some hesitate, afraid of being seen as having a problem.

04:03But he's determined to fulfill his mission and makes sure his message is heard.

04:10Thanks to Peter.

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