Haynes-Alleyne: Culture of bullying in all spheres must stop

SHASTRI BOODAN
GML Correspondent

Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne says the culture of bullying in all spheres, including the workplace, must change, and stop.

She spoke with Guardian Media on Sunday when she—along with Rodney Charles, the MP for Naparima, and Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally—participated in a 5K run/walk hosted by the Alumni Association of Presentation College, Chaguanas.

Haynes-Alleyne said teachers and others in authority should ensure they do not act in a manner that could be construed as bullying.

“Over the past few weeks, what we have learnt as a nation is that many people feel, and legitimately so, a sense of being pressured and bullied in different spheres,” she noted. “We have heard about students bullying students, and certainly there is peer-to-peer bullying. We heard about it in Parliament, and I am sure there are teachers and persons in positions of power who exert that power in a manner not conducive to proper mental health, creating a toxic environment.”

“What we need to take away as a nation is that we must learn and grow from this,” she said. “We cannot allow this significant moment in our nation’s history to pass. We have to come together now to figure out how we can culturally shift thinking about a proper schooling environment—places that are non-toxic and supposed to be safe spaces, whether in school, the workplace, or addressing men’s and women’s mental health.”

L to R – Naparima MP Rodney Charles; Head of the PCC Alumni Association, Joshua Phillip; Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally; Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne; and Daniel Austin, representative of sponsor XTRA Foods. [Image by SHASTRI BOODAN]

When asked if she believes the culture of bullying from persons in authority was inherited from the colonial era, Haynes-Alleyne said:

“Whether it’s a colonial relic, we have to release ourselves from those shackles and move forward as a nation, creating a culture that people can thrive in.”

Joshua Phillip, the head of the Alumni Association, said the theme for this year’s event was “Men’s Mental Health Matters”. Phillip said the alumni are taking this issue very seriously in light of the rising violence and crime in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We will do everything in our power to educate our boys, our alumni, and our men to be better role models in our society,” he added.

Phillip noted that around 2,000 people attended the event.

Endorsing the event, MP Dinesh Rambally said sporting and community events are essential for addressing non-communicable diseases and improving the health and well-being of nationals.

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