Empirical Article Summary
Repo and Sajaniemi (2015) utilized a mixed-method approach to investigate bullying in the pre-school environment to comprehend the phenomenon better to be able to implement effective anti-bullying practices. It identifies the organizational and pedagogical methods used in pre-schools directly linked to bullying and how to prevent aggressive behaviour in early childhood. The study covers many concepts related to bullying, such as social-emotional learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and aggressive action, to establish whether they are entwined together.
The sample in Repo and Sajaniemi (2015)’s study included 61 children between the age of three to six, 29 early childhood professionals and 24 parents from eight pre-schools from two municipalities, and early childhood professionals from the city of Vantaa.
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Repo and Sajaniemi (2015) collected qualitative data by interviewing the children, parents, pre-school teachers, and practical nurses selected from the eight pre-school groups. . The interview models used were developed by the University of Turku’s research venture. All ethical guidelines by the National Advisory Board on Research Ethics were followed. The adults were interviewed from the same child groups as children. A survey was also carried out by sending questionnaires to staff members working with children in the city of Vantaa. 771 adults from 336 pre-school groups responded.
The interviews revealed that the children understood bullying and were able to describe it adequately. The survey showed that the most common form of bullying was psychological bullying characterized by manipulation, blackmail, exclusion, ignoring, and talking behind one’s back. Children with special education needs were most likely to be bully-victims. The research established that bullying was mainly a group phenomenon made up of reinforcers, victim defenders, and bully assistants. The study revealed systematic bullying is common among children in early childhood development centres. This study shows the need for a public discussion regarding methods used to discipline children and behaviouristic thinking in early childhood education. The study also determined that bullying mostly occurred in a group setting, especially among boys. Therefore, adults play a role in building an environment where children can learn better ways of socializing with peers without making others feel excluded.
Part 2: Additional Sources Synthesis on Approaching Bullying from an Early Childhood Context Bullying Approach from the Context of Child Development
Bullying is a serious social phenomenon that affects a child’s wellbeing. Bullying is the act of exposing a person, mostly students, to negative actions over time (Saracho, 2016). Bullying can be established using three criteria: intentional harm doing, being done repeatedly and overtime, and an interpersonal relationship characterized by an imbalance of power (Storey & Slaby, 2013). Most studies have focused on bullying from an early childhood development age since peer interactions begin in pre-school and kindergarten (Storey & Slaby, 2013). Their experiences help them construct social skills that help them form friendships and learn to point out aggressive behaviours. Bullying victims often suffer long-term psychological problems such as diminishing self-esteem, depression, and loneliness (Vlachou et al., 2011). Therefore, it is important to examine aggressive behaviours in children to effectively help prevent and stop the emergence of bullying in early childhood settings.
Childhood educators need to understand the concept of bullying to stop its development in the early development stages. Young children’s interaction patterns are most likely to affect peer aggression. It is estimated that 20.4% of children between ages 2 to 5 have experienced physical bullying in their lifetime, and 14.6% have gone through verbal bullying (Cook et al., 2010) . According to Vlachou et al. (2011), bullying is more common in young children than in school-aged children. It also suggests that bullying is more likely to reduce as the children grow older—however, the forms of bullying change with age. Physically aggressive behaviours decline as the children grow older, while verbal attacks and social exclusion become more common in school-aged children. Young children are more likely to bully by saying mean things, pushing others aside, or excluding other children from playing. Such behaviours are easier to stop at the early phase as compared to older stages.
Young children mainly derive their experiences from family, the media, and their friends. These experiences influence the children on how to relate with their peers and determine whether they will develop aggressive patterns or not. Children between the age of 2 and 4 begin to develop aggressive behaviour in a quest to defend their friendships or possessions (Storey & Slaby, 2013). The aggressive behaviours develop systematically depending on how the target responds. The bullying pattern will most likely continue if the target submits to the bully. Allowed to continue, bullying takes more varied and sophisticated forms (Vlachou et al., 2011). It is also important to note that bullying in boys is mostly characterized by physical and verbal aggression. At the same time, girls exhibit indirect forms of bullying, such as excluding other parties and manipulating relationships.
To effectively mitigate bullying in early childhood settings, it is important to focus on all parties involved in bullying. The action of bullying is made up of the bully, the bystander, and the victim. If the victim yields to the bully, the bullying pattern is most likely to repeat itself repeatedly (Storey & Slaby, 2013). The bystanders then become fearful of the bully and exclude the victim from their activities (Saracho, 2016). Bystanders might also be enticed by the power the bully exhibits and become bullies themselves. Early childhood practitioners can prepare children to stop bullying patterns and establish a bullying-free environment by understanding these group dynamics.
Children who become bullies at a young age are most likely to continue exerting their power in elementary school, high school, and beyond (Cook et al., 2010). The victims may develop physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach-aches, psychological symptoms, and a deep dislike for school. The victims often need help in making friends and being more assertive.
Early childhood educators can prevent the escalation of bullying by encouraging children to engage in healthy social interactions with their classmates. They can also help victims by instilling resilience and assertiveness against bullies. To effectively prevent bullying, the educators need to understand how bullying develops and when children begin to step into roles of bullying. By taking advantage of every teachable moment and intervening immediately on the occurrence of a bullying case, early childhood teachers can effectively curtail bullying behaviours at a young age.
References
Cook, C. R., Williams, K. R., Guerra, N. G., Kim, T. E., & Sadek, S. (2010). Predictors of bullying and victimization in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic investigation. School Psychology Quarterly , 25 (2), 65-83. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020149
Repo, L., & Sajaniemi, N. (2015). Prevention of bullying in early educational settings: Pedagogical and organisational factors related to bullying. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal , 23 (4), 461-475. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293x.2015.1087150
Saracho, O. N. (2016). Bullying prevention strategies in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal , 45 (4), 453-460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0793-y
Storey, K., & Slaby, R. (2013). Eyes on Bullying in Early Childhood . Eyes on Bullying. Retrieved 8 January 2021, from https://clphs.health.mo.gov/lphs/lessonplans/EyesonBullyinginEarlyChildhood.pdf .
Vlachou, M., Andreou, E., Botsoglou, K., & Didaskalou, E. (2011). Bully/Victim problems among preschool children: A review of current research evidence. Educational Psychology Review , 23 (3), 329-358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9153-z
