Bullying in Early Childhood - post

When parents and teachers see news of bullying on the news, the focus is primarily on school-age children and adolescents; however, bullying does occur in children as young as preschool. Many oftentimes dismiss the signs of bullying as a rite of passage in growing up, but ignore the lasting signs of bullying in both the victim and the aggressor.

Sprung, Froschl, and Hinnitz in The Anti-Bullying and Teasing Book: For Preschool Classrooms (2005) put a heavy emphasis on the early childhood educator's role in influence young children's interaction with one another, particularly in bullying. Because children in early childhood are just learning and testing the boundaries of social interactions, teachers' responses to bullying incidents should first and foremost be proactive and preventive (2005).

In "Be Loud, No Bullying Allowed" a completely online and independent course offered here at ChildCareEd, teachers will study how to differentiate bullying from other aggressive behaviors in young children, as well as learn tips and strategies to respond to and prevent bullying.