A non-governmental organisation, School Anti-Bullying Force, has trained over 250 school counsellors across Lagos State’s six educational districts to equip them with skills to tackle bullying in schools.
At the training held at the University of Lagos, the founder of the NGO, Mrs Mariecollete Kekong, emphasized that the initiative aims to create a safer learning environment for children by empowering counsellors with the tools to identify, prevent, and address bullying effectively.
“This programme builds on the knowledge counsellors already have. It is designed to help them teach children how to recognise bullying, prevent it, and stand against it,” Kekong stated.
She revealed that the organisation is also establishing anti-bullying centres and School Anti-Bullying Force Clubs in schools across the state, where both victims and perpetrators can receive guidance and intervention.
“The idea behind the club is to turn even bullies into anti-bullying heroes. Many children learn aggressive behaviours from their homes—whether by witnessing violence between their parents or experiencing it themselves. When children grow up in such environments, they often replicate those actions with their peers,” she explained.
Kekong further noted that the anti-bullying centres will serve as safe spaces where children can report cases of bullying and receive support from trained counsellors.
“Many counsellors are familiar with the theoretical aspects of counselling, but children need one-on-one conversations where they feel truly heard. This training focuses on equipping counsellors with active listening skills to help children navigate bullying situations and feel safe speaking up,” she added.
The NGO, she said, has already handled over 100 bullying cases in both public and private schools, ensuring that affected children regain their confidence.
“Our approach follows up on each case to the very end, making sure the bullied child recovers emotionally and socially. We’ve also introduced an initiative called School Anti-Bullying Heroes to further engage students in the fight against bullying,” she stated.
Kekong called on the government to collaborate with the organisation in setting up anti-bullying centres across Lagos and other states.
“These centres will serve as safe spaces where children can report bullying and receive the necessary support. We are currently using Lagos as a blueprint, but our goal is to expand this initiative nationwide,” she said.
Dr Rita Kienka from Lagos State Education District 3 reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on bullying.
“The government is committed to addressing bullying in schools. Counsellors are being trained to identify and curb bullying as much as possible,” Kienka said.
She noted that in extreme cases, the government relocates bullied children to designated social welfare centres where they receive proper care and therapy.
Meanwhile, educationist and counsellor Mrs Tolu Fapohunda highlighted the role of parents in shaping children’s behaviour.
“Bullying often starts from home. Parents should be mindful of how they behave in front of their children because they absorb and replicate these behaviours,” Fapohunda advised.
Coach Ope Bankole, a personal performance coach, described bullying as a reflection of deep-seated insecurities.
“Bullying is often an outward expression of internal struggles. Schools must focus on helping both the bullied and the bullies to address the root causes of these behaviours,” he said.
The training session emphasized the need for continuous efforts to eliminate bullying in schools and create a supportive learning environment for all students.
