Mass media is no longer just a passive presence in our lives; it has started to dominate us like a living entity. Our children are exposed to scenes of shootings on TV every day. They dance to the beats of vulgar and romantic songs at social gatherings. They are deeply immersed in the world of video games and cartoons. Schools, which were once centers of moral education, are now seeing a decline in discipline and values. The troubling incidents of bullying, fighting, and ragging that were once confined to colleges have now infiltrated schools, raising serious concerns. It seems that moral education has almost disappeared from schools, leading to a worrisome situation. However, it's not just schools to blame; children are becoming isolated due to excessive exposure to mobile phones within the family structure. If they are exposed to perversion instead of culture, they will naturally imitate it.

The environment at home and in society greatly influences a child's personality.

In one school, condoms and syringes were found, highlighting the dangerous situations arising when teachers are preoccupied with surveys and other non-educational tasks. The burden of schoolbags on children has not yet reduced. Children are not getting enough sleep, and no one in the family has time for them. Lack of communication and conflicts within the family are affecting the mental health of children, making them irritable and isolated. Children are becoming increasingly detached from relationships.

There is no one to understand their feelings, and no one to express them to. Emotions need to be vented at the right time. Without places where they can openly express themselves, a child's personality cannot develop properly. Currently, the standards of civility in society and politics have hit rock bottom, and a culture of sarcasm and rudeness is emerging. Children observe all this.

What is bullying?

Bullying is a form of violence among youth. It can cause physical, mental, social, or educational harm or distress to the targeted individuals. Common forms of bullying include:

• Physical: Such as hitting, kicking, and tripping.
• Verbal: Such as name-calling and teasing.
• Relational/Social: Such as spreading rumors and exclusion from groups.
• Property damage: Damaging the victim's belongings.

Bullying can also occur through technology, known as electronic bullying or cyberbullying. A young person can be a perpetrator, a victim, or both (also known as "bully-victim").

How big is the problem?

Bullying is widespread in the United States. It negatively affects all young people involved: those who are bullied, those who bully others, and bystanders who witness bullying.

Bullying is common. 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property. More than 1 in 6 high school students reported being electronically bullied in the past year.

Some youth are more likely to experience bullying than others. About 40% of high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, compared to 22% of heterosexual students and about 33% of those unsure of their sexual identity, reported being bullied at school or electronically.

Bullying is a recurring disciplinary problem. About 14% of public schools report that bullying is a discipline issue that occurs daily or at least once a week.

Reports of bullying are highest in middle schools (28%), followed by high schools (16%), combined schools (12%), and primary schools (9%).

Bullying can result in physical harm, social and emotional distress, self-harm, and even death. It can also lead to depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and an increased risk of dropping out of school. Youth who bully others are at an increased risk for substance abuse, academic problems, and violence later in adolescence and adulthood. Those who both bully and are bullied suffer the most severe consequences and are at greater risk for mental health and behavioral problems.

How can we prevent bullying?

Bullying is preventable. Various factors can increase or decrease the risk of bullying others or being bullied. To prevent bullying, we must understand and address the factors that contribute to or protect against violence. This involves efforts at the individual, relational, family, school, community, and societal levels. Approaches such as universal school-based programs that strengthen youth skills and improve physical and social environments can reduce violence and bullying or mitigate key risk factors.

Different forms of violence are interconnected.

Is this the way forward?

Children should have access to literature that is beneficial for their growth.

Parents often allow their children to use mobile phones because they themselves use them.

Nurturing emotions should begin at home, but when this does not happen, children become emotionally dry and indifferent.

Parents who have worked hard, often staying in challenging situations to send their children abroad, are unable to see their children even in their final moments, forcing them to attend their last rites via video conferencing. Careers have taken precedence over relationships.

Today, many grandparents live alone because their children are abroad. There is plenty of money, but no family or community around them. The films of today also drip with excessive violence and obscenity. Earlier, films were meant to inculcate values; today's films promote vices. After watching movies like Animal, how can children behave civilly and cultured? Earlier songs and books inculcated values and shaped lives. The book Shyamchi Aai shaped an entire generation. Songs like "Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega, Insan Ki Aulad Hai, Insan Banega" taught us secularism. Now, no one teaches these values, and instead, they are being destroyed.

Everything seems to have deteriorated, and the society is paying the price for the neglect of moral education. If society is to improve, everyone must work on their thoughts and actions.

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