Tag Archives: bullies

Infants Can Tell the Difference Between Leaders and Bullies

A study found that infants are able to distinguish between leaders and bullies. The results of this study build upon prior research that indicates that infants can represent power asymmetries and expect them to both endure over time and extend across situations. The researchers in the study were from the University of Illinois, Champaign. They examined whether 21-month-old infants could distinguish between two different bases of social power. To do this, the researchers analyzed the eye-gazing behavior of the infants. This is a standard approach for measuring expectations in children too young to verbally explain their thinking to adults. The … Continue reading →

What To Do About Bullies

My son is being bullied at preschool nearly every day, in fact, almost all the kids are. This little boy is younger than all the other kids, and frankly isn’t even supposed to be in the preschool room, but was so hard to handle that they kicked him out of the toddler room and sent him in with the big kids hoping things would be better. Needless to say, they’re not. The teachers are getting beat up, the kids are getting beat up, and my son isn’t enjoying preschool the way he once was. Bullies are becoming more and more … Continue reading →

Coping With Social Exclusion

Does your preschooler have friends? I know that some say that preschoolers are too young to have true friends. They don’t necessarily understand the social dynamics of friendship. After all, four-year-olds have just moved from solitary play into parallel play and now into social play. My daughter does have a few four-year-olds whom we might call her friends, and although they are not always happy with each other they get along remarkably well, all things considered. I always need to remember that these children were just born four and a half years ago. We expect a lot from them socially. … Continue reading →

Creating a Positive Preschool Environment for Your Quiet Child

I was a quiet child. It took me years to develop enough self-esteem to stand up to bullies. I remember being bullied from an early age. This started in very early elementary school, likely kindergarten, and continued far into high school. My daughter is a similarly quiet sort, except at home, of course. As we prepare to enter public school next year, I have thought a lot about the ways in which our current preschool helps to create an environment that reduces bullying. Preschoolers are just learning social skills – many adults are still learning these skills! But they do … Continue reading →

Study Shows Most Bullied Kids are Overweight

This fascinating new study reveals that overweight children are typically a bully’s prime targets. While you might not consider this “breaking news,” it is very revealing in that it shows that kids who are picked on avoid situations where they are bullied, such as gyms, playgrounds, and other sporting events. The very places children go to burn off calories. According to the study, roughly one out of every five children is chronically bullied, and in most cases repeated teasing and taunting leads to depression and loneliness. This finding coupled with the fact that bullies drive their victims away from physical … Continue reading →

Intervening with Grade School Problems

It may be clear to us as parents when we should step in and advocate for our child when they are younger, but as they get older it can be more challenging. Not only does it become tough for us to tell when we should intervene, but we also have the added pressure of often having a child who does NOT want us to get involved—it can be embarrassing and cause more problems for him with his peer group than it solves. It can feel like a minefield as a parent to know when to step in and intervene and … Continue reading →

Is This Your Child? Bullies and Bad Behavior

We have had a marvelous winter snow. I know that for many of you, this is not a very big deal–in fact, it can be pretty common place, but here in the Pacific Northwest–a fluffy white snow with enough accumulation to play in here on the valley floor is a very big deal indeed. This morning, I watched out my window while I was working as a neighborhood dad and his 3-year-old son worked for nearly an hour building what may have been the child’s first snow man. Then, a half-hour later, I watched as a gang of 4, 6-7-year-olds … Continue reading →

Warning: New Danger Online

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Sometimes I wonder if our kids have too much time on their hands. Seems like when they do they find something inappropriate to get into. I was reading in the current issue of Good Housekeeping about a rising and disturbing new trend among kids. Seems like some kids are now videotaping their fights and then posting the footage online. What’s just as disturbing is that some kids are so starved for attention that they are faking the fights. I love the Internet. I think it’s the greatest invention since Starbucks but unfortunately, it has created a wealth of problems including … Continue reading →

Mom Sues School Over Bullying

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A Coral Springs, Florida mom recently sued her son’s school board because she says her 12-year-old son was bullied this past year. This bullying, she said, caused her son “pain, fear, humiliation and social isolation.” But the twist is the mother is not seeking monetary compensation. Instead, she wants the school board ordered to segregate bullies at her son’s school and to conduct behavioral intervention programs aimed at reducing or eliminating bullying. She also wants the school to provide a better means of security so that her son can attend school in a safer environment. When it comes to the … Continue reading →

Will staying in school make your child a better person?

This question is from a comment on the education blog about homeschooling. One of the questions asked by a mom who was considering homeschool was why her friend felt that the troubles her child is having in public school would make him a better person. Many homeschool opponents say that dealing with the rigors of public school will make a child a better person. They have several reasons. Socialization: “The act of learning to take social cues from children of the same age group will ready you for dealing with peers in adulthood.” Somehow, however, these opponents neglect to look … Continue reading →