By: Kaitlyn Boisvert
Posted In: News
Whether you are a teacher, a student, a victim of bullying or a bully yourself, the issue of bullying affects everyone. Salve’s Department of Education Chair Dr. Kathleen Vespia sits down to explain the psychology behind bullying and what can be done to stop it.
Q: As the Head of the Education Department, you have probably have experience with bullies and bullying at schools. Is bullying common?
A: Yes, definitely. It starts mainly in elementary school, and if it is not stopped it can progress toward high school and even beyond that. Many child bullies end up becoming criminals or adults with many psychological issues, and so it is important for the issue of bullying to be addressed right away. Many adults accept bullying as a normal rite of passage, and it shouldn’t be. It’s a very serious issue that needs to be addressed.
Q: Why do children bully?
A: It can be because of many reasons, but bullying stems from a child’s desire to have power. A bully does not necessarily have a criminal mind; he or she just wants to have a sense of power and becomes determined to do whatever necessary to get that power, even if it involves harm at the expense of another person.
Q: How does bullying affect children?
A: Bullying victims undergo a lot of trauma and pain that affects their present and future. Being bullied instills a fear of rejection, along with insecurity into the mind of the victim, and this impairs their cognitive, social, emotional and academic development. It can also cause post-traumatic stress. If a young child feels that their safety is not met, the limbic system of the brain will gain more control of the frontal system. This could cause the child’s learning process to shut down. All these effects can psychologically impair a child, and pose many problems as they mature.
Q: How can we stop bullying?
A: We all have to work together to stop it as early as possible. This means parents, teachers, school psychologists, everyone. It will be a hard task though. Bullying is far more difficult to spot in elementary school than it is in high school. But it needs to be done. We need to teach children about empathy, and how to see the world through the needs of another person. And for the young bullies, we need to find a way for them to fulfill their need for power without harming their fellow peers. We should work to promote character development among children, and work together to build a safe and productive work environment at schools.
Interview was condensed and edited.
