The extent to which victims of bullying suffer negative outcomes is partly determined by how they cope with being bullied. In your future practice as an early childhood teacher, how can you ensure the children in your care have the skills and strategies to overcome bullying incidents with reference to the unit content. Make links to the Early Years Learning Framework (DET, 2022) where relevant.
Victims of bullying
ways that I can ensure the children in my care have the skills and strategies to overcome bullying incidents:
- Create a safe and supportive environment. This means establishing clear rules and expectations about what is and is not acceptable behavior, and enforcing those rules consistently. It also means creating an environment where children feel comfortable talking to adults about bullying, and where they know that they will be taken seriously.
- Teach children about bullying. This includes teaching them what bullying is, the different types of bullying, and the effects that bullying can have on victims. It also includes teaching them how to stand up to bullies, and how to seek help if they are being bullied.
- Model positive behavior. Children learn by watching the adults in their lives, so it is important to model positive behavior when it comes to dealing with bullying. This means being respectful of others, even when they are being disrespectful to you. It also means intervening when you see bullying happening, and teaching children how to do the same.
- Encourage children to develop their social skills. This includes teaching them how to make friends, how to resolve conflicts peacefully, and how to stand up for themselves. It also includes teaching them about empathy, so that they can understand how their actions affect others.
- Read books about bullying. There are many great books available that can help children to understand what bullying is, the different types of bullying, and the effects that bullying can have on victims.
- Have discussions about bullying. This can be done in small groups or as a whole class. It is important to create a safe space where children feel comfortable talking about their experiences with bullying.
- Role-play bullying situations. This can help children to practice how to stand up to bullies and how to seek help if they are being bullied.
- Provide children with resources. There are many websites and organizations that provide resources for children and adults about bullying. I can provide children with these resources so that they can learn more about bullying and how to deal with it.