At Pacific Learners, we believe school should be an environment that fosters creativity, fun, offers great learning experiences and prepares the child for the journey ahead.
However, a child’s experience at school can be impacted by those who bully and intimidate. These children often have underlying issues which can stem from insecurities, lack of discipline and lack of respect for others. These issues need to be dealt with and dealt with fast.
A child who is bullied doesn’t always speak up, they can feel isolated and alone, and can lead to behaviours that are uncharacteristic. The impact can be felt not only short term but long term as well. In understanding the impact bullying can have on children, we need to address it quickly, and in most cases address the issue with the parents or caregivers.
In this video, Miss Ioane pulls aside a child and has a meaningful conversation with them.
5 ways to address bullying behaviour
- Deal with the issue immediately, the child needs to understand that you are serious and that the bullying behaviour is unacceptable.
- When addressing the child, keep calm, it is okay to be angry but focus on the behaviour and not the child.
- Emphasise that their behaviour will have consequences and be clear about the punishment. Time out or taking away a toy or privilege is a good idea.
- Listen to what the child has to say, in the child’s mind he/she could think they are doing nothing wrong. The behaviour could be acceptable in the child’s home
- When talking to the child, use positive messaging and try to get the child to think about how the other child might feel.
If you found this video useful, you might like to watch our 3 part series on ‘Helping children cope with stress and anxiety’.
- Help our children cope with stress and anxiety part 1 – Understanding the symptoms of stress and anxiety.
- Help our children cope with stress and anxiety part 2 – Communication is key.
- Help our children cope with stress and anxiety part 3 – Use culture and identity to overcome stress and anxiety.