ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

I do agree with your article about not labeling children as bullies etc... I do feel that it is important that the teacher and/or grown up in a child's life be very aware of the behavior and personality of each child, so that he/she can help the child move from whatever the inappropriate behavior might be,and teach the child the appropriate behavior needed. You can do this without labeling the child or making the child feel like it he/she is a bad kid.

Excellent Comments on Bullying. We all need to be dong more thinking in terms of:
Prevention
Responses
Interaction
Intervention
rather than labels. What is it in our society that is causing what seems to be a rise in bullying?
Crowding, Large Groups?
Less Interaction in Families?
Fewer siblings to interact with?
War? Fear?
Lack of direction and choices?
All of the above and more?
Why are we not holding the adults responsble also? Are adults modeling the acts of bullying?
Katie Gerecke

I agree with the writer. We cannot put the weight of this problem onto the children. Labeling them makes us feel more in control but does not address the issue. We can all behave in a bullying manner when we really want our way in something. Teaching children higher order moral skills offers more of a solution. Recognizing that other human beings have the same rights and needs, even if they are different from us, is a more important understanding to gain that all the academics in the world. You can catch up in reading skills but research is showing a definite window of opportunity for learning empathy and understanding. Let's make those the priority pre-k learning skills.

I am very happy to see someone talking about this. When all the talk of bullying started getting big several years ago, I felt very uncomfortable with the word being used in the preschool setting. There are so many developmental issues that arise for children age 3 and 4 and 5 that have to do with learning to play in groups, exclusion, and belonging - I cringe when people miss the developmental significance and start to label a young child as "bully"

WaHoo Lyn. I agree with your assessment of the bully prevention programs.

Any kind of a label attached to a child will only help to further the behavior the label carries. Children become self-fulfilled prophecies and becoming the label is no different.

When do we address the individual child and that child's needs? Why don't we address the safety issues of all the kids including the kids that are hurting other kids?

Speak up Lyn and do it more often!

Linda Ranson Jacobs
DivorceCare for Kids Director
Wake Forest, NC