1. Children’s Rights In and Through Education: Learning to Live Together
The Right to be Safe
Peer Violence
BULLYING
Rationale and Objectives
Children and youth are vulnerable to be victims of violence of multiple types and in varied contexts. Educators stand in a forefront position to protect and assure children’ right to be safe from maltreatment, violence, abuse and neglect. This unit aims to educate course participants on child abuse and neglect in the family, peer violence, to raise awareness and stimulate discussion on their current and potential role. Moreover, it aims to provide practical tools for students of education and teachers towards active prevention and intervention for child whose safety is at risk.
Learning Outcomes:
Enumerate and Describe the multiple forms of child maltreatment.
Recognize the educator’s responsibility towards the prevention and intervention of children and youth whose right to be safe is at risk.
Outline the different forms of peer violence and its implications on children's safety and well being.
Utilize practical tools for the prevention and intervention of Human and Children’s Rights violations focusing on family and peer violence.
Recognize the gaps between incidence, prevalence and disclosure of abuse.
Identify the different dilemmas related to the mandatory reporting of the abuse. 1

2. The Right to be Safe
The Right to Survive The Right to be Safe The Right to Belong The Right to Develop

3. Learning Outcomes Definitions of bullying Effects of bullying
Characteristics of those who bully and those who are bullied
Influence of bystander behavior
Types of Bullying:
Traditional
Cyber Bullying
Interventions
The role of parents
The role of educators
Date

4. What is bullying? Bullying is a form of abuse based on power imbalance
Children have the right to be safe from this form of violence and abuse which threathens their development
Bullying has a group element – in that it often involves bystanders or witnesses to such abusive events

5. What is bullying? No universal definition Direct physical aggression
Direct verbal aggression
Indirect aggression
Behavior that is intentional, hurtful and repeated by one or more persons.
Bullied students are teased, harassed, and assaulted verbally or physically.

6. Two Types of Bullying
Direct
Indirect

7. Indirect Relationship Bullying
Gossiping
Spreading Rumors and Lies about someone
Making someone feel left out or rejected.
Which one of these types of bullying do you think boys are involved in? Which one do you think girls are involved in? Boys tend to be more physical and girls value relationships more than boys. At one school there were these girls who thought they were these divas or the Royal 5 and they had this signup sheet for girls who wanted to sit with them at lunch. What happen was girls would sign up and they would pass the sign up sheet around to see who was rejected or not. This is mean and unacceptable and do you think this is the way those girls would want to be treated?

8. Why Children are Bullied? Potential Risk Factors
Difficulties with social skills/social competence and self-esteem
Lack of social support systems
Children with special educational needs

9. Characteristics of Those who Bully
Previously victimized or bullied
Aggressive
Lack of Empathy
Often from families with low affection
Often from families that use violence

10. Characteristics of Bullies
Excited by their bullying behavior
Enjoy feelings of power and control
Enjoy causing pain
Can be a below average, average or above average student
Lack compassion and empathy for their targets

11. Effects of Bullying on Bullies
Increased risk of depression
Higher risk of criminal activity

12. The importance of the Bystander in Bullying Scenarios
Bullying occurs in groups
Bystanders key in either sustaining or preventing bullying
Bystanders often afraid of becoming involved

13. Bystander Behavior Need social pressure to combat bullying
More effective than condemnation from Authority

14. Role of Bystanders
Assistants
Reinforcers
Outsiders
Defenders

15. Bystander Behaviour 9% - bystanders supported victim
6% - bystanders attempted a resolution
55% - bystanders did not respond to help
7% - bystanders smiled/laughed
24% - bystanders supported bully
(Tapper & Boulton, 2005)

16. Who is Target? Doesn’t fit in Physically weak Minority
Facial appearance
Clothing
Emotional
Overweight
Good grades

18. Is Bullying a Part of Childhood and Youth?
Children have the RIGHT TO BE SAFE

19. Types of Bullying: Traditional Cyber
Traditional Bullying:
Occurs to children in places with little supervision
Teachers/ Some Cultures TURN A BLIND EYE TO VERBAL BULLYING
Attention is often given to physical bullying
Many Educators / Cultures believe children should cope with bullying on their own
“Toughen up” - “Speak Back” - “ Part of Growing Up”

20. Verbal Bullying - Types
Verbal Bullying seen as mainly harmless by educators
Verbal Bullying can be harder for victims to substantiate
Cyber Bullying
What’s different ?– What’s the Same ?

21. Differences and Similarities Traditional Bullying and Cyber
Discrimination in different forms always existed
Abuse – did as well
The internet makes them MORE VISABLE

22. All Bullying Power Imbalance Favors Perpetrators
Targeted Students Draw Negative Attention from their peers
Exclusion and Isolation of Victims fortifies the power of the perpetrators
Perpetrator’s actions are not invited and not desired
PERPETRATOR’S ACTIONS ARE RELENTLESS

23. Cyber Space and Bullying
Cyber Space boundaries are not defined
Bullying is verbal and written
Permanent
Replicated
Perpetrators can be anonymous
Social networking offers ‘play – ground’ for Bully talk

24. Practical Tools for Children and Youth: Cyber Advice
Do not respond or engage
Try to identify the person responsible
Save abusive communications
Block Contact with the perpetrators
Communicate the incidents with responsible adults

25. Bullying and Gender Boys and Girls
Bully in Characteristically Different Ways.

26. Anti-Bullying Interventions
Peer support approaches:
Co-operative group work
Circle Time
Befriending/Buddy Schemes
Circles of Friends
Conflict resolution/mediation
Peer Tutoring
Peer Counselling
Peer mentoring

27. Anti-Bullying Interventions
The No-Blame Approach - “Restorative Justice” :
Interview bullied pupil
Arrange a meeting for all pupils who are involved
Explain the problem
Share responsibility
Identify solutions
Let pupils take action themselves
Meet them again

28. Anti-bullying Interventions
Assertiveness Training for bullied pupils
Body Language and eye contact
Assertive Statements
Resisting manipulation and threats
Responding to name calling
Enlisting support
Developing a whole-school anti-bullying policy

29. As a Teacher and Educator:
Raise awareness of bullying and cyber-bullying:
Talk with students
Investigate reported cases
Be involved with the online behavior of students
State the unacceptability of this behavior
Outline expectations
Explain consequences
Explain violence and cyber violence as criminal acts with consequences

30. Activities

31. Activities for Teachers to use in classroom

32. Literature Required Readings:
Kirman, J. M. (2004). Using the theme of bullying to teach about human rights in the social studies curriculum. McGill Journal of Education, 39 (3),