This exercise asks you to explore two related issues: 1) bullying in middle scho

Question

This exercise asks you to explore two related issues: 1) bullying in middle school girls and boys, and 2) how parents can nurture empathy and discourage aggressive behavior in their children. In addition to reviewing the text section on bullying, read the article at this website before answering the following questions: Questions: 4. If you had the opportunity to design and implement a bully-prevention program at a local middle school, what would you do? Highlight the developmental relevance of your program for the unique challenges of this age group.

Explanation / Answer

Bullying is becoming a challenge spread across schools worldwide on a rampant basis. The reason is the fragile age of adolescence, lack of appropriate attention and guidance by adult supervisors and an overwhelming number of changes taking place in the lives of these adolescents. Scientifically it has been proven that not only do hormonal changes hit adolescents at this turbulent phase of their lives, but the limbic system is significantly more developed than the prefrontal cortex. This simply means that emotions are on the rise but the logical explanation and rationality isn't yet completely developed. This makes them increasingly engage in risk taking behaviors which makes them a highly vulnerable population indeed. A lot of emotional support, guidance and supervision is thus required to make them adapt. The ability to comprehend these changes developes when adequate awareness is provided in the environment. Thus it is important that a stimulating environment is provided to the adolescent.

Bully prevention program:

Mind jog activity: Participants will be made to list things that come to their ind when they think of adolescents. People may provide their unique inputs regarding the theme. It will then be highlighted that nowhere do we think that the curiosity and unique challenges faced by an adolescent at this turbulent phase may culminate into something as risky as bullying. It may be an energising exercise and may highlight the fact that there are indeed so many factors that an adolescent is faced with.

Personal audit: Partcipants will then be asked to recall times when they felt bullied and a sharing of experiences may be facilitated to relate to the theme in its entirety.

Information exchange: This is rather an opportunity to spread awareness about the biological, physiological, cognitive, sociocultural changes that an adolescent may be facing while growing up. Comprehending all these by themselves and attempting to understand why they think/feel the way they do while still attempting to make meaning of the world around them is a unique challenge in itself.

Information application: Participants can then be guided as to how they can ensure adolescents around them grow up in an emotionally enabling environment where people around her/him are sensitized towards what they undergo. A discussion can be facilitated about the same where brainstorming of ideas take place.

Real world connect: Finally an action plan is to be created as to how they will concretize their present learnings into practice and what they can do on a day to day basis to ensure the safety and security of adolescents.

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