I read an article that a new book on bullying is out and that it warns that some teachers, parents, and kids are blowing typical teasing way out of proportion. The author feels that some bickering among children is normal and that this behavior prepares us for adulthood. I must be very prepared for adulthood since I was frequently the target of teasing when I was a kid. Boy was that a tough way to get ready for the big world out there!
Minor playground spats are blown out of proportion and branded 'bullying', an expert has claimed.
Youngsters must learn to cope with teasing and name-calling so they are able to handle awkward situations as adults, former Government adviser Tim Gill says.
He believes the extent of bullying is being exaggerated by over-protective parents and teachers, who apply the label to childhood squabbles which were previously assumed to be part of growing up.
Mr Gill also warned that children's play with their friends was being too closely supervised by teachers.
He said that with fewer children playing in parks or in the street, the schoolyard is often only place they can enjoy being outdoors.
His book, No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk-Averse Society, warns children are being branded antisocial for innocuous activities such as street football, playing hopscotch or climbing trees.
Of course, kids will be kids, and sometimes they do need to be allowed to solve their own problems. Adult intervention should only come when it is necessary. It doesn't seem that hard to me to recognize the difference. When kids are being picked on by others, it's very obvious.
Do some people jump on the bandwagon and take laws a little too far? Sure they do. However, I would rather see adults overly concerned about possible bullying than looking the other way and calling it child's play. Too much preparation for the real world can be tough on the child that is being bullied. Just ask me!