Bertha was always a calm and friendly girl. She got good grades, loved to draw and was crazy about superhero cartoons. But lately her teachers and classmates noticed a change in her behavior. She became more aggressive, pushed other children in the schoolyard and used harsh words.
One day she pushed a classmate so hard that he fell over and started crying. When the teacher confronted her about it, Bertha shrugged and said, "He just has to listen, like in my favorite cartoon."
This may seem like an isolated incident, but research shows that children like Bertha can be deeply influenced by what they see at home and what media they consume.
The link between domestic violence and bullying
Research by Laeheem et al. (2009) shows that children who witness domestic violence and have a preference for violent action cartoons are at greater risk of exhibiting bullying behavior. In a study among 1400 pupils, it appeared that these two factors were the greatest predictors of bullying behavior.
Why is this so? Social learning theory offers an explanation. This theory states that children learn behavior through observation. If they regularly see violence at home or in the media, they can normalize this behavior and even adopt it in their own social interactions.
Another study, Baldry, (2023 ) shows that girls who are exposed to domestic violence between their parents are more likely to bully others at school. This means that violence within the family is an important risk factor for bullying. Schools can play a fundamental role in this by recognizing early signs of adjustment problems.
What can schools do?
In the article by Laeheem et al., (2019) the final advice is that schools, school administrators, school advisors, counselors, teachers, and parents should work closely together to develop an intervention and prevention plan against bullying.
But how do we bring these three significant groups – schools, parents and students – together to effectively reduce bullying?
Some possible steps :
1. Observation and signaling: Teachers can be alert to behavioral changes and identify bullying behavior in students at an early stage.
2. Parental involvement: Informing parents about the impact of domestic violence and media on their children's behavior can help with prevention.
3. Educational programs: Anti-bullying programs and social skills training can teach children how to deal with conflict in healthy ways.
4. Collaboration with professionals: Schools can collaborate with child psychologists and social workers to better guide children in risk situations.
Bertha’s response to her teacher raises an important question: What could the teacher have done to prevent this behavior from developing further? This is a question that schools and policymakers need to seriously consider. By understanding children better and taking preventative measures, we can work together to create a safe and supportive learning environment.
What do you think is the best solution? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Eldoune C.
Bibliography
Baldry, A. C. (2003). Bullying in schools and exposure to domestic violence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27(7), 713–732. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0145-2134(03)00114-5
Laeheem K., Kuning M., McNeil N. (2009). Bullying: Risk factors becoming ‘Bullies’. Asian Social Science, 5, 50–57.
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