51吃瓜网

How do we prevent bullying? Despite decades of study and numerous programs claiming to be the solution to bullying,听听One of the main issues is that 鈥渂ullying prevention鈥� is often a misnomer; instead of trying to stop the behavior before it begins, the focus of many programs is on reducing already high rates of bullying. By the time students enter sixth grade, the earliest grade for which nationally representative data is collected,听report having been targeted in the past year. For younger children, data are far more limited, but suggestive.听听found that 20.4 percent of children ages 2-5 had experienced physical bullying in their lifetime and 14.6 percent had been teased (verbally bullied).听

To actually prevent bullying before it starts, we need to focus on how bullying behaviors develop鈥攆or those engaging in bullying behaviors and those being targeted鈥攕tarting in early childhood.听recently conducted a听听and convened an expert roundtable, which 51吃瓜网 took part in, to document current understandings of the roots of bullying in early childhood. We identified key contextual factors linked to bullying behaviors, promising and evidence-based programs that help address emerging behavior, and the need for further research.听

Research on bullying and early childhood development is limited.听When we talk about bullying, the early childhood audience is often forgotten. There remains immense debate in the field about how to distinguish between typical, sometimes aggressive behavior that young children show and the more strategic and deliberate behaviors that define bullying. In preparing their听, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined bullying as being between 鈥渟chool-aged youth,鈥� recognizing that the behaviors observed in young children are often not what we traditionally think of as bullying, but are developmental in nature, as children first begin to navigate interactions with peers. Many young children who are aggressive with their peers will not engage in bullying behaviors in later childhood and adolescence. Likewise, being the target of an aggressive behavior does not mean that child will be victimized for life. Still, these early aggressions (and conversely, the early skills of sharing, listening, and empathy) are precursors to later behavior, and it is important to intervene early. More research is needed to understand the trajectory of early aggression into bullying behaviors.

Despite the limited literature, four key factors consistently seemed to be related to bullying behaviors in young children:

1)听Parents鈥� treatment of each other, their children, and others influences how young children treat their peers.听Specifically, parents鈥� use of harsh discipline and children鈥檚 exposure to domestic violence are related to increases in bullying behavior, while parents鈥� positive engagement in their children鈥檚 lives, such as through interactive play, reading, and meals together, seems to be protective against bullying behavior. Parents serve as role models for their children, and modeling empathy, concern, and care for others may help deter later bullying. Resources such as those provided by the听听at the Harvard Graduate School of Education can help parents expand their own听and help their children do so, too. (It should be noted here that the majority of current research looks at the behaviors and characteristics of mothers; studies looking at the role of fathers are more limited, primarily because mothers are more likely to be the primary caregiver for young children and more likely to respond to the research. Some effort is being made, however, to address the听.)

2)听Young children exposed to maltreatment are more likely to be involved in bullying, both as the target and the aggressor.听Not only can maltreatment change children鈥檚 behaviors, it has been shown to fundamentally alter the development of young children鈥檚 brain structures, which can lead to developmental deficits including in the social and emotional domains. Early intervention is critical to help stem these delays.听, an evidence-based program specifically aimed at helping reduce child maltreatment and promote positive parenting strategies, is one approach that shows promise.

3)听Television and other media can contribute to the development of both aggression and pro-social skills.for your children is one of the听听among early childhood advocates. Research shows that increased television watching is related to increases in aggressive behavior even if the content is not inherently violent. Conversely, when shows are specifically designed to promote skills such as sharing, empathy, and other pro-social skills鈥攕hows like听, Daniel Tiger鈥檚 Neighborhood, or in past generations, Mister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood鈥攃hildren are more likely to engage in these behaviors after viewing.

4)听Building young children鈥檚 social and emotional skills and promoting welcoming classrooms can significantly reduce aggression.听Evaluations of several evidence-based social and emotional learning programs for young children, such as PATHS for Preschool, Second Step, and Al鈥檚 Pals, show that helping children understand and control their own emotions, and understand those of others, can significantly reduce conflict and aggression. Even without these formalized interventions, teachers of young children (and parents for that matter) can work to reduce bullying behaviors. The听Guidance Matters听column in the professional journal听Young Children听provides a number of resources that can support these efforts.

Overall, it is clear that more attention needs to be paid to identifying, researching, and preventing the roots of bullying behavior in young children. It is only when we recognize that bullying behaviors do not simply appear in elementary or middle school, but may be part of a developmental trajectory, that will we be able to stop bullying.