Ending the Cycle of Bullying: Why the Culture of “Seniority” in Nigerian Schools Must Be Reconsidered

Ending the Cycle of Bullying: Why the Culture of “Seniority” in Nigerian Schools Must Be Reconsidered

The report that the boys seen in the viral video bullying a junior student in a school in Edo State have been expelled is true. In another video that has also gone viral this morning, one of the boys was seen being booed out of the school while his father picked him up.

This act raises more concerns. While many people opined that expulsion alone may not be sufficient punishment for such a callous act, the issue required a deeper reflection beyond the immediate disciplinary response.

In many Nigerian secondary schools, if not all, there exists an entrenching tradition of “seniority,” where older students exert an informal or formal authority over their juniors. Unfortunately, this system often creates an environment where intimidation, coercion, and even physical abuse are normalised under the guise of maintaining order or discipline.

It is important to note and recognise that some students who bully today may themselves have been victims of the same treatment when they were in junior classes. In such cases, the behaviour becomes a cycle, a reproduction of what they once endured. Rather than seeing themselves as perpetrators, they may perceive their actions as part of an inherited culture of “passing it down.” I escaped this barbaric practice during my days in school not because I was totally loyal to the senior but because I had a privilege of completing certain tasks such as writing notes and running some other errands for them. It’s a long tradition that needs to be checked and reworked.

For this reason, focusing solely on expelling one student may not address the root of the problems. What truly deserves scrutiny is the broader culture that allows such practices to persist over decades.

If teachers who are trained and legally empowered to maintain discipline are sometimes criticised or even restricted in how they punish students, it raises a serious question: why should fellow students, under the banner of seniority, be allowed to discipline, intimidate, or physically punish their peers?

Schools are meant to be safe spaces for learning, development, and mutual respect. Any structure that informally delegates disciplinary authority to students risks enabling abuse and perpetuating cycles of violence.

Perhaps the most effective long-term solution is the complete dismantling of this culture of student “seniority” that grants power over others. Replacing it with systems grounded in mentorship, supervision, and institutional accountability may be a more constructive way forward.

The question therefore goes beyond whether expulsion is enough punishment. It may be time to ask whether the system that quietly permits such hierarchies within schools should continue to exist at all.

The time to outlaw the banner of seniority in secondary schools is NOW!

Raufu Musliyu, PhD