The fight to stop bullying is growing. Earlier this month, the White House held its first ever conference on bullying prevention. Several organizations have jumped on board to launch campaigns. The National PTA launched Connect to Respect to encourage PTAs to lead conversations in their school communities. SurveyMonkey has created a survey for students to find out how safe they feel. And StopBullying.gov provides information, resources and more.
The play community is also doing their part to prevent bullying. We provide opportunities for play to children that is both safe and inclusive. By teaching conflict resolution tools, including rock-paper-scissors and “I feel” statements, we can encourage students to work out their problems productivity. And by creating and supporting an environment with good sporting behavior and positive social interaction, children are happy and less likely to bullying others. In Detroit, Playworks has partnered with 18 schools as a part of the Detroit Public Schools’ conflict resolution initiative to prevent bullying.
When we asked you on our Facebook page for the best bullying prevention techniques, Krystal Henry said “helping them understand the affect of their actions. If they do not understand what they are doing then in their eyes there is no reason to stop.” Debbie Serota shares that it’s about “teaching empathy.” And Meg Rosker let us know to “start young…intervention is great when kids are older, but we need to be thinking in terms of prevention, not reaction. We need to get to kids young, teach them proper social interactions and care for themselves and others.”
What do you think is the best way to prevent bullying?
