Preventing Bullying In Early Childhood

Bullying behaviors emerge in early childhood. Early childhood educators play a critical role in determining whether bullying develops and escalates, or whether it is stopped and prevented. All of us who interact with young children can take steps to teach them the skills they need to avoid bullying altogether.

If you don’t know that bullying happens among young children, you won’t see it or stop it. If you don’t stop bullying, it will grow and spread. When concerned adults are prepared, they can nip bullying in the bud.

Find out how to prevent and stop bullying in early childhood:
• Understand how bullying develops in early childhood
• Use activities to help children develop the social skills to prevent and stop bullying
• Learn how to take advantage of teachable moments
• Develop an action plan for intervention

Eyes on Bullying in Early Childhood

Understand that bullying behaviors emerge in early childhood settings and that these behaviors are preventable.

Recognize the different forms of pre-bullying and bullying behaviors that may occur in early childhood settings—if you can’t see bullying when it happens, you won’t be able to do anything about it.

Understand how bullying develops among young children.

Recognize when individual children begin to step into the roles of bully or victim. Identifying children who bully and children who are victimized helps educators intervene in appropriate ways. Understand that children who are bystanders play a powerful role in bullying situations.

Understand the variety of ways early childhood educators can prevent bullying before it starts, intervene when it happens, and follow up after it occurs. Learn the steps involved in empowering young children to help stop and prevent bullying.

Talk with young children about bullying. Dealing with bullying directly and openly lets everyone know that bullying is an important concern, that it will not be tolerated, and that everyone needs to work together to stop and prevent it.

Teach and guide children in practicing the social skills they need to help stop and prevent bullying.

Engage children in activities to develop the empathy skills they need to refrain from, stop, and prevent bullying.

Help children stand up for themselves and others in bullying situations by involving children in activities that develop assertiveness skills.

Use these activities to help children build the problem-solving skills they need to analyze and solve bullying problems.

Work to develop and maintain a common vision of a bullying-free environment.

Prepare to take advantage of teachable moments, and intervene immediately and effectively whenever children engage in pre-bullying or bullying behaviors. Intervention is most effective when it includes all children: those who bully, those who are victims, and those who are bystanders to bullying.

Engage parents in bullying prevention initiatives to help them talk to their children about bullying and teach their children social skills for preventing bullying.

Understand that bullying behaviors emerge in early childhood settings and that these behaviors are preventable.

Recognize the different forms of pre-bullying and bullying behaviors that may occur in early childhood settings—if you can’t see bullying when it happens, you won’t be able to do anything about it.

Understand how bullying develops among young children.

Recognize when individual children begin to step into the roles of bully or victim. Identifying children who bully and children who are victimized helps educators intervene in appropriate ways. Understand that children who are bystanders play a powerful role in bullying situations.

Understand the variety of ways early childhood educators can prevent bullying before it starts, intervene when it happens, and follow up after it occurs. Learn the steps involved in empowering young children to help stop and prevent bullying.

Talk with young children about bullying. Dealing with bullying directly and openly lets everyone know that bullying is an important concern, that it will not be tolerated, and that everyone needs to work together to stop and prevent it.

Teach and guide children in practicing the social skills they need to help stop and prevent bullying.

Engage children in activities to develop the empathy skills they need to refrain from, stop, and prevent bullying.

Help children stand up for themselves and others in bullying situations by involving children in activities that develop assertiveness skills.

Use these activities to help children build the problem-solving skills they need to analyze and solve bullying problems.

Work to develop and maintain a common vision of a bullying-free environment.

Prepare to take advantage of teachable moments, and intervene immediately and effectively whenever children engage in pre-bullying or bullying behaviors. Intervention is most effective when it includes all children: those who bully, those who are victims, and those who are bystanders to bullying.

Engage parents in bullying prevention initiatives to help them talk to their children about bullying and teach their children social skills for preventing bullying.