“My life at school changed the day I stood up to three classmates all at once. Word spread quickly throughout the school and the community, and people started taking me seriously. Sports saved my life. They realized I was no longer the tiny timid one they used to pick on,” says the anonymous source in a talk with Ampop Media.

They realized I was no longer the tiny timid one.

The man recalls enduring years of physical and psychological bullying by male classmates due to his short stature.

“In music class, we sang a song about dwarfs, and I was the ‘tiny one.’ It hurt me so much. They would sometimes snatch my hat, hit my head, or trip me on purpose. The girls pitied me, which only made me feel worse—I wanted more than their sympathy; I wanted their respect. Then I discovered sports. Martial arts became my escape, and one day, when the ‘tough guys’ tried to intimidate me again, I fought back.”

The ‘tough guys’ tried to intimidate me again, I fought back.

Now an educator, this former victim dedicates his life to preventing bullying. He organizes seminars and workshops aimed at reducing or eliminating bullying through teamwork and individual support.

For him, addressing bullying is as vital as teaching his academic subject. He reflects on his own school days when the fear of public humiliation at the blackboard overshadowed his academic potential, leading him to tell he didn’t learn the lessons and get poor grades.

“Bullying can destroy not just individuals but even an entire state. In this context, many people with immense potential remain hidden, simply out of fear of being mocked,” says a teacher who has witnessed the toll of bullying firsthand.

While he acknowledges that eradicating bullying entirely is unlikely, he emphasizes the importance of reducing its prevalence and impact, calling even incremental progress a significant victory.

Another teacher we spoke with, Hermine Abrahamyan, believes that talking about bullying and giving it a name is already the beginning of the fight. She says that she has witnessed the phenomenon since childhood in the yard, at school, and even in families, but there was no awareness of the potential consequences it could have:

“It didn’t have a name, and we thought it was the problem of a weak person, and if someone was weak, that’s how it had to be. Only in recent years, when it got a name and it became clear that there are ways to address it, did we realize that bullying exists, that we need to call it by its name, and start fighting against it.”

Many people simply consider it to be trendy and exaggerated and don’t take it seriously.

In an interview with Ampop Media, the teacher shares that when they began working with pupils, it became clear that many of the bullies didn’t realize they were bullying. They only understood it when the victims tearfully confessed that they were in a very difficult emotional state.

“Often, we don’t even realize the psychological impact our actions have… It’s essential to talk about this phenomenon; that is the ‘treatment’ path.”

Hermine Abrahamyan is convinced that there should be more discussions about bullying, despite the fact that when social flaws are named, many people consider them to be trendy and exaggerated and don’t take them seriously.

13-year-old male pupil, Kotayk Region (from a 2023 study by the “Nor Luyce” NGO)

“I was a victim of bullying for six years, from first to sixth grade. The children in my class couldn’t stand me. Every day they mocked me, calling me ‘sleepy’ or ‘sleepy town.’ I became a source of amusement for them. I didn’t tell my parents how I was treated at school because I knew that if I did, they would treat me even worse. But one day, after another round of mockery, I couldn’t take it anymore and told my mom everything. The next day, she came to school and scolded the children. After she left, they started calling me ‘tattletale’ because my teacher also insulted me instead of defending me…”

The term “bullying” has gained traction in recent years to describe the deliberate and recurring infliction of psychological or physical harm.

In Armenia, studies by the “Nor Luyce” Mentoring Center for Youth NGO since 2019 reveal that bullying is pervasive across all regions in Armenia․

“Our findings show that the majority of teenagers experience bullying, with its peak during middle school, in grades 6-8. Adolescents, eager to establish their identity and gain peer acceptance,” says Shoghik Mikayelyan, executive director of the center. The organization emphasizes raising awareness through education for pupils, teachers, school principles, and parents. However, Mikaelyan notes that working with parents poses the greatest challenge since schools can set rules for prevention, but family environments remain beyond institutional control.

She notes that the first steps in combating bullying are already being taken: awareness campaigns are being implemented for all the stakeholder involved in education processes –  pupils, teachers, school principles, and parents. According to her, the most challenging aspect is working with parents because while rules can be set in schools or other educational institutions to fight the phenomenon, it’s not possible to do so within families.

In 2023, “Nor Luyce” conducted a study on bullying across Armenia, surveying 500 pupils. Key findings include:

• 47% of respondents reported being bullied in their own classroom.
• 89% of cases involved social bullying, while 10% were instances of physical bullying.
• A separate pilot study (April-June 2023) involving 175 teens revealed that 87% of participants had experienced bullying. Gender trends indicated that girls predominantly faced social bullying, while boys were more likely to encounter physical bullying.

15-year-old female pupil, Shirak Region (from a 2023 study by the “Nor Luyce” NGO)

 A boy in my class would pull my hair, take my books, and grab my bag.

Surveys among Armenian educators reveal alarming statistics:

• 38% of teachers observed significant drops in pupils’ academic performance and willingness to participate in class.
• A high level of absenteeism and symptoms of emotional distress, including lower self-esteem, were also noted.
• 43% of teachers reported that pupils sought their help in escaping bullying.

Former school principal Nona Poghosyan, now representing the “Participatory School” educational foundation, emphasizes that combating bullying requires a comprehensive, institutional approach with a clear and targeted state policy. “A school’s administration must take bullying seriously, and the solution cannot be left to one individual—whether a teacher, psychologist, or parent,” Poghosyan argues.

She highlights the need for anti-bullying policies to involve the entire school community, from janitors to guards, as incidents often occur in areas outside of supervision in schools. “Educational institutions must have an anti-bullying program and strategy in place. The starting point should be school principals, as only a few proactive teachers attend training sessions and recognize the issue. Localized solutions won’t work.”

This happens in the most hidden corners of the school, which are neither visible nor monitored by adults.

According to Nona Poghosyan, the most crucial element in combating bullying is continuous awareness-raising, as the consequences of bullying can be irreversible—leading to suicide, social isolation, or the destruction of an individual’s future.

“We always pity those who are victims of bullying, but we must also support the bullies. They didn’t become bullies because they had a good life. If we look closely, we’ll see that they have problems at home and in their path to personal development. If we don’t intervene, they might become tomorrow’s criminals and spiral into ruin.”

… we must also support the bullies. They didn’t become bullies because they had a good life.

Currently, there is no systematic, state-supported anti-bullying program in Armenian schools that involves all members of the school community. Furthermore, Poghosyan points out that, when working with school principals, it becomes apparent that many of them either fail to recognize bullying or hide it, claiming that such a phenomenon doesn’t exist in their schools.

Psychologist Anush Alexanyan underscores the critical role of public awareness in addressing bullying. However, she warns against the sensationalist coverage of incidents in the media, which can unintentionally glamorize harmful behaviors. Instead, Alexanyan advocates for the development of targeted communication policies to mitigate the effects of bullying.

She further emphasizes that bullying, when mild, can sometimes serve as a developmental challenge that children overcome as they mature, becoming stronger and more self-aware adults.

Despite increasing awareness, Armenian schools lack a nationwide anti-bullying framework that involves all stakeholders, including principals, teachers, parents, and auxiliary staff. Many school principles still dismiss bullying, either denying its existence or concealing incidents to maintain their school’s reputation.

Psychologist Anush Alexanyan is also convinced that the institution itself is to blame for bullying. If bullying is possible within a given institution, neither the family nor the individual can bring about change. To put an end to bullying, systemic changes are necessary.

According to her, when the internal system fails, alternative systems, such as criminal subcultures, take root.

Alexanyan explains that the Armenian equivalents of the word ‘bullying’ are ‘harassment’ and ‘persecution,’ and these should be used to describe the phenomenon. Otherwise, many assume that bullying is a new concept or a foreign term introduced to describe a different aspect of modern life.

In an interview with Ampop Media, the psychologist notes that the phenomenon has always existed, but in her view, mass media today is contributing to the evolution of harassment forms and methods. Through TV series and shows, numerous methods of harassment and violence are being portrayed.

‘Detailed coverage of such incidents by the media tends to have a more negative impact than positive,’ she adds.”

“Anush Alexanyan believes that a specific policy and set of guidelines for information dissemination must be developed to reduce bullying or minimize its extreme manifestations.

According to the psychologist, in cases where bullying occurs in smaller doses and doesn’t lead to severe consequences, children often overcome it on their own and may even emerge stronger.

They overcome it by growing up and becoming stronger, realizing that this is not their entire life, that the issue wasn’t within them for being bullied. They understand that although they couldn’t defend themselves, it wasn’t because they were weak, they simply didn’t have the opportunity, and that’s normal. In other words, by maturing and gaining wisdom, individuals can independently overcome this trauma,’ she explains.

Authored by Lilit Harutyunyan
Responsible editor: Karine Darbinyan
Designed by Van Simon

The story has been prepared by Ampop Media in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and are not necessarily aligned with those of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

ATTENTION © Content from Ampop.am and visuals bearing the Ampop Media logo may only be published on other audiovisual platforms with prior agreement from the management of Ampop Media and/or JFF.

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