Jamie.
21-07-2012, 12:46 PM
Bullying at school can actually be good for children, an academic said yesterday. She said teachers should not protect pupils from playground spats as they can help them handle difficult events in the future.
Helene Guldberg, associate lecturer in child development at the Open University, says official fretting 'over the supposedly terrible dangers of bullying in the playground, can do more harm than good'.
It denies children 'the experiences they need to develop', such as being able to resolve their own disputes, as well as stunting their development and harming their social interaction with others.
But anti-bullying campaigners condemned her remarks, saying teachers need to be vigilant about the problem. Dr Guldberg made her controversial claims in an article for the online publication spiked, to promote her new book, Reclaiming Childhood: Freedom and Play in an Age of Fear.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/01/30/article-1132022-033CAEDF000005DC-474_468x296.jpg Helene Guldberg, associate lecturer in child development at the Open University, says bullying can be good for children
She says bullying is a profound problem for just a small minority of children, and 'much that is defined as bullying today is not bullying at all'.
It is actually 'boisterous banter or everyday playground disputes that could – and should – be resolved without adult intervention'. Dr Guldberg says today's obsession with bullying is not good for children or teachers.
'Teachers are increasingly lumbered with the task of looking after children's health and wellbeing, rather than being allowed to get on with the task of educating them.
'Children are encouraged to assume their relationships with other children are damaging, and tacitly encouraged to look upon their peers with trepidation and suspicion.'
She adds: 'If we treat children as if they cannot possibly cope with hurtful experiences, then we will likely undermine their confidence and make them less likely to cope with difficult events in the future. 'In effect, we will prevent them from growing up.
Dr Guldberg cites an American sociologist, William Corsaro, who claims that arguments and teasing can 'help bring children together and help organise activities'.
Disputes and conflict can also add a 'creative tension' that increases the enjoyment of play.
But Richard Piggin, executive manager of the charity Beatbullying, insisted that the experience is never character-building. He said: 'When it is repetitive behaviour and there is clear power imbalance, it is bullying.
'If we do not intervene early to tackle bullying behaviour, including name-calling, rumour spreading and group exclusion, it can escalate into more problematic behaviours which are then harder to address.'
Sue Steel, national manager of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: 'Children who are being bullied often find it difficult to tell anyone. Teachers can help by maintaining an appropriate level of vigilance.'
Chris Cloke, head of child protection and diversity at the NSPCC, said: 'Calls about bullying form the largest category on ChildLine. Its impacts can be long lasting and deeply affect a child's happiness, esteem and performance at school.
'While teasing, arguments and overcoming differences are all natural, a line needs to be drawn between what is acceptable and what is not.
'A child should not be made to feel victimised, threatened or intimidated. In extreme circumstances, bullying can leave children emotionally scarred for years and may even push them to the brink of suicide.'
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NOTICE
I am writing an article for my Peer Mentor page, if you would, please comment on the above article, and include your full name and age.
Thanks :)
Helene Guldberg, associate lecturer in child development at the Open University, says official fretting 'over the supposedly terrible dangers of bullying in the playground, can do more harm than good'.
It denies children 'the experiences they need to develop', such as being able to resolve their own disputes, as well as stunting their development and harming their social interaction with others.
But anti-bullying campaigners condemned her remarks, saying teachers need to be vigilant about the problem. Dr Guldberg made her controversial claims in an article for the online publication spiked, to promote her new book, Reclaiming Childhood: Freedom and Play in an Age of Fear.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/01/30/article-1132022-033CAEDF000005DC-474_468x296.jpg Helene Guldberg, associate lecturer in child development at the Open University, says bullying can be good for children
She says bullying is a profound problem for just a small minority of children, and 'much that is defined as bullying today is not bullying at all'.
It is actually 'boisterous banter or everyday playground disputes that could – and should – be resolved without adult intervention'. Dr Guldberg says today's obsession with bullying is not good for children or teachers.
'Teachers are increasingly lumbered with the task of looking after children's health and wellbeing, rather than being allowed to get on with the task of educating them.
'Children are encouraged to assume their relationships with other children are damaging, and tacitly encouraged to look upon their peers with trepidation and suspicion.'
She adds: 'If we treat children as if they cannot possibly cope with hurtful experiences, then we will likely undermine their confidence and make them less likely to cope with difficult events in the future. 'In effect, we will prevent them from growing up.
Dr Guldberg cites an American sociologist, William Corsaro, who claims that arguments and teasing can 'help bring children together and help organise activities'.
Disputes and conflict can also add a 'creative tension' that increases the enjoyment of play.
But Richard Piggin, executive manager of the charity Beatbullying, insisted that the experience is never character-building. He said: 'When it is repetitive behaviour and there is clear power imbalance, it is bullying.
'If we do not intervene early to tackle bullying behaviour, including name-calling, rumour spreading and group exclusion, it can escalate into more problematic behaviours which are then harder to address.'
Sue Steel, national manager of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: 'Children who are being bullied often find it difficult to tell anyone. Teachers can help by maintaining an appropriate level of vigilance.'
Chris Cloke, head of child protection and diversity at the NSPCC, said: 'Calls about bullying form the largest category on ChildLine. Its impacts can be long lasting and deeply affect a child's happiness, esteem and performance at school.
'While teasing, arguments and overcoming differences are all natural, a line needs to be drawn between what is acceptable and what is not.
'A child should not be made to feel victimised, threatened or intimidated. In extreme circumstances, bullying can leave children emotionally scarred for years and may even push them to the brink of suicide.'
----
NOTICE
I am writing an article for my Peer Mentor page, if you would, please comment on the above article, and include your full name and age.
Thanks :)