The Suriname government has launched a zero-tolerance policy against bullying after a 15-year-old student was filmed being assaulted because of his sexual orientation.
The Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture in Suriname launched the new policy with a stern warning to young people who exhibit intolerant behavior.
There has been an outcry since the video of the assault went viral and the student involved in the assault has since been suspended and will receive psychological counseling.
The authorities warn that if following the counseling there is no change in his behavior, he will be expelled from school.
“The ministry finds this behavior reprehensible and therefore disapproves of it. Everyone has the right to safety and security. Every year students are confronted with all kinds of violence. Bullying is one of them. Some students have also killed themselves as a result.
“Although there are warnings that students should not bully each other, they are not heeded. It is more like acting tough on students to continue this misbehavior,” the Ministry of Education said in the statement.
Since the incident, the Education Inspectorate has visited the student who was assaulted, and his parents and the Youth Affairs Department of the police has been notified.
“This should never have happened and should never happen again,” PAREA, an association of LGBT professionals, wrote in a statement about the incident.
Besides PAREA, other civil society organizations have also expressed their disapproval. The Platform of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders (LGBT Platform) Suriname as well as other organizations and individuals have expressed their concerns in a joint communique.
“It is with horror and resolute disapproval that we have learned of the discrimination, humiliation, and mistreatment of a student by fellow students, which we witnessed this week. We express our deep concern about the public violence perpetrated among school-aged young people.
“It is harrowing. that in October, the month in which the LGBT community and other human rights organizations in Suriname make efforts and join forces for human rights, a young person is humiliated and mistreated because of the alleged sexual orientation or gender identity, which makes bullying, humiliation, and abuse, especially during this period, even more painful,” the groups said.
In response to the incident, the Ministry of Labour, Employment & Youth Affairs (AWJ) has also spoken out against bullying and is calling on all young people to stop bullying people, especially their peers.
It said bullying such as being laughed at, pushed, or ridiculed through text messages or pictures on social media can have far-reaching consequences for both the victim and the perpetrators.
CMC/
