Pastoral counselling of non-believing children who are bullied

Abstract

The theme of this study is: Pastoral counselling of non-believing children who are bullied. The aim is to provide comfort and support to such victims through a process of emotional and spiritual healing and simultaneously leading them to Jesus Christ and in this way restoring their value through God’s love. With the phrase “leading children to Jesus Christ” the implication is actually that Jesus Christ is witnessed to the child and that it is their choice what to do with this testimony. Osmer’s pastoral-theological model serves as the point of departure with the descriptiveempirical task explained in chapter 2. The staggering statistics of bullying emphasises the various styles bullying has progressed into and the rise in urgency to combat the latter. Chapters 1 and 2 highlights these counter measures through healthy and effective support structures, preventative action plans within the broader frame of Osmer’s model. The interpretive task entails the neighbouring sciences being researched and incorporated within a multi-disciplinary approach (chapter 3), displaying the devastating effects bullying has on a child. Osmer emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach since no single viewpoint encapsulates the entire nature of bullying. The results derived from the neighbouring sciences (psychology, education, social, and medical sciences) shows the lasting effects a bullied child experience physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Noticeably, the brain of a bully victim is altered, leaving him/her vulnerable to memory loss, personality changes, and bursts of aggression. Different preventative programs and strategies are suggested related to, among other things, societies, schools, parents, and counsellors. The normative task is addressed in chapter 4 with the emphasis on Scriptural insights and guidelines related to the study's topic. Principles related to inner healing, spiritual guidance, and emotional restoration confirm that through God’s Word, the devastating effects of bullying can be overcome. Scripture encourages the victim in opening their eyes to a future free from pain and full of hope. In addition, the victim is reminded through these exegetical passages that, despite their difficulties, God has never abandoned them, and that He remains their anchor and beacon of hope. The pragmatic task comes to the fore in chapter 5. Several strategic-theoretical guidelines are discussed and presented as a suggested pastoral model for pastors, counsellors, social workers, and youth workers in guiding emotionally wounded and traumatized children who have been bullied. The ultimate goal is to provide comfort to such victims by guiding them to Jesus Christ and, in turn, restoring their value through God's love and restoration.