Bullying Q & A with Dr. Susan P. Limber Special advisor for - CET

3. How is bullying manifested at the elementary school level? Whatparticular lessons and ideas can kids and parents take away from thisepisode of WordGirl?It is not at all uncommon for children in elementary grades to be involved inbullying—either as a child who bullies, one who is bullied, one who bullies andalso is bullied, or as a witness or bystander. Common forms of bullying amongelementary school children include verbal bullying (such as name-calling or meanteasing), physical bullying (hitting, shoving, kicking), and relational bullying (suchas excluding someone on purpose).There are some important take-away lessons from this episode: Bullying doesn’t always involve physical actions such as hitting, shoving,or pushing. Often, bullying involves words. Words are extremely powerful and they can hurt others. Just because someone has power does NOT mean they are right. Nobody deserves to be bullied. There is power in numbers. Working together as a group, we can helpstop bullying.4. When you first reviewed this episode, what were your initial thoughts?What feedback or constructive criticisms did you offer? How did yourcomments shape the story?I really liked the premise of the episode. It’s important for kids to see how easy itcan be to be influenced by others’ bad behavior—particularly if these otherpeople seem cool or powerful. WordGirl, who is a champion of good behaviorand good words, was encouraged to use words in ways to hurt others. It tookher some time to see the negative effect that her words were having on others.But she did—and she learned a lot in the process.I wish I could take credit for the strong storyline and creativity of the episode, butI’m afraid my contributions were more subtle. One thing that I encouraged thewriters to avoid was the labeling of individuals as “bullies.” It is important torecognize that anyone—even WordGirl—can behave inappropriately. But weshould never label kids as “bullies.” We should focus on helping them changetheir behavior.5. How would you advise a parent go about discussing the issue ofbullying with their young child? Are there any key points they shouldmake?Through early and frequent discussions, help children understand what bullyingis, how bullying can be hurtful, and what your expectations are for their behavior.Make it clear through your words and actions that you expect them to treat otherskindly. Emphasize that it is OK for them to play with their friends, but it is not OKto leave others out in a way that hurts feelings.