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| Preventing bullying in early childhood environments
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The Australian National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence happens in March every year and is a great initiative which focuses on identifying and preventing bullying in schools. It focuses on encouraging parents and teachers to talk to kids about bullying, building a safe school culture and what kids should do if they feel bullied.
A lesser-known form of bullying happens in early childhood environments and promoting awareness and information about prevention strategies which can be applied in the early childhood setting can help prevent the onset of bullying behaviours and work to protect children as they move into school.
A couple of years ago we ran a series of articles by the Director of Break Through Bullying Melissa Graham, the articles were on Bullying in Child Care, Cyber Bullying and Anti-Bullying Strategies. This article focuses on identifying and addressing bullying behaviour in preschool aged children, a challenge in itself given the many perfectly natural ways preschoolers learn about boundaries, socially acceptable behaviour and how to use words rather than actions to get what they want.
Working out the line between bullying and developmentally normal preschool behaviours needs to start with a definition: so what is bullying?
Bullying is what happens when a child who is/or wants to be more powerful targets a weaker and or smaller person by hurting, frightening or threatening them repeatedly.
In early childhood environments 'normal' hurtful behaviour changes into bullying when it is targeted and goes on for a prolonged period of time. Adult intervention is necessary to identify the power gap, put a stop to the bullying and implement strategies to prevent it from occurring again the future.
Any of the behaviours below, many of which are commonplace in early childhood environments, could result in bullying if targeted towards one person and left unchecked: name calling, exclusion, put downs, teasing, hitting, ignoring, breaking possessions, hurting feeling, scaring, threatening, kicking, lying, acting superior, bossing around, pushing, taking things, insulting someone's personality or appearance or laughing at someone.
The suggestions below have been put together by early childhood professional Betsy Evans and focus on practical strategies which educators can apply when they witness hurtful behaviour.
Every verbally or physically hurtful incident in the classroom requires a response from an adult. The steps outlined below can help you assist children in problem solving and developing constructive replacement behaviours.
Stop verbal and physical hurting
Take steps to stop the hurtful behaviour by setting clear limits. Adults know they must stop physical hurting immediately but often don't realise that they also must stop verbal hurting as well. If hurtful words have become a regular pattern (versus an emotional outburst to an isolated problem), the response must be an interruption of that pattern.
Facilitate problem solving.
Help children find solutions and learn constructive communication skills
Try this six-step process to help children resolve conflicts:
- Approach calmly, stopping and hurtful actions. Place yourself between the children, at their level and use a calm voice and a gentle touchy to separate the children if necessary. Remain neutral rather than take sides.
- Acknowledge the children's feelings: "you look really upset". If there is an object involved let the children know you need to hold it.
- Gather information: "What's the problem" or "what happened"
- Restate the problem in language appropriate to the level of the children involved: "So the problem is…"
- Ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together: "What can we do to solve this problem?" Encourage the children to choose the solution which best suits both of them.
- Be prepared to stay close and give follow-up support: "You solved the problem!"
Observe and write anecdotes
Make a plan for responding to and interrupting a pattern of bullying by closely observing the behaviour and objectively writing anecdotes about the behaviour – the "when, where, and who" of each incident. It is also useful to note any events that occur immediately before and after the behaviour, including the children's and the adult's response.
Behaviour is communication of a need or goal. The behaviour functions to create a result. Document, over a period of time, the details of each incident so you can gain some understanding of the children's needs. Children often engage in bullying to gain social status, to feel in control, and to gather more attention to themselves. If power is taken away when adults stop the bullying, it may be important to address the child's need for power and control in a different, more constructive way.
Empower children
Find ways to empower children by giving many opportunities to make choices. Create leadership roles for children during various parts of the day, perhaps using a job chart that engages children in real responsibilities (for example, feeding a pet, "reading" to a younger child, or taking the part of problem-solver, or problem-solving partner). Help children recognise the positive ways that they are "powerful" when they help someone with a hat, help think of a creative solution to a problem, comfort someone who is sad, or find a lost toy. With small groups of children, discuss ways that they can be powerful by helping others.
Be a role model
Adult behaviour has a huge impact on children, who will imitate both respectful and disrespectful behaviours. Consider whether the classroom adults regularly use intimidation or punishment of children as a strategy for responding to certain behaviours. Discuss replacing punitive consequences with logical consequences.
Provide proactive support for relationship building
Talk to children about their relationships with one another — encourage (notice and describe) how they cooperate as they clean up together, push each other on the swing, and figure out problems together. Read stories that highlight relationship problem solving. Engage in small-group problem solving. Provide extra support to children who are having difficulty entering play constructively.
Reference
Bullying Can it Begin in Preschool? By Betsy Evans in Highscope Extensions |
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