The Roles Children Play in Bullying There are many roles that kids can play. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. When kids are involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied. It is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying. Importance of Not Labeling Children When referring to a bullying situation, it is easy to call the kids who bully others bullies and those who are targeted victims, but this may have unintended consequences. When children are labeled as bullies or victims it may: •Send the message that the childs behavior cannot change •Fail to recognize the multiple roles children might play in different bullying situations •Disregard other factors contributing to the behavior such as peer influence or school climate Instead of labeling the children involved, focus on the behavior. For instance: •Instead of calling a child a bully, refer to them as the child who bullied •Instead of calling a child a victim, refer to them as the child who was bullied •Instead of calling a child a bully/victim, refer to them as the child who was both bullied and bullied others...
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:50:43 +0000