Bullying at school is bad enough, but now children have to contend with social media and online sites, so it’s not always possible to ‘turn off’ when they go home. Most children are kind, and psychologists believe that most school bullies do so due to possible problems themselves, wanting attention (unlike adult bullying that is often done in secret, most school bullies like an audience). Or simply due to envy of the nice character traits of the person being bullied. But it’s true that most bullies go for shy children or those with few close friends to back them up. Also read how Lizzie overcame cyber-bullying.
Read Man Down, by a writer who had mental health problems for years, after being severely bullied at school. In an article for the media, he decided to track down the boy who had caused him years of misery at school. What happened was strange yet weirdly touching. It turned out the former bully had been tracking the writer on social media for a long time, seeking for himself the reassurance that his behaviour had not caused long-term harm. They did not become good friends, but the meeting did facilitate some kind of peace on both ends.
The problem with bullying prevention programs is that they have mixed reviews. Some people say they work, others say they make things worse. The obvious solution is likely to keep class sizes small and make sure vulnerable children are being overseen, so they are not left alone without adult supervision (including at break times). KiVa Program was founded by the Finnish Education Department and claims to be more studied and effective than the rest. You can order materials if you wish to try it,
Montessori schools are private with small class sizes, but there is a lot to learn from them. This teaching method (founded by Italy’s first female doctor) has classrooms of children of different ages, who help each other to learn, and there is more focus on creativity and kindness (learning on computers comes much later, with no adverse effects. Montessori teachers are trained to engage in conversations a bit like restorative justice, asking child bullies how they would feel if something like that happened to them . Focusing on empathy rather than exam leagues, can only help.
