Bullying
Welcome to the Bullying learning pathway. This pathway is designed to support a broad range of practitioners to understand the impact of childhood bullying on children’s mental health. As you progress through this pathway you will be introduced to key practice skills to support you in your work with children who experience and who engage in bullying.
Bullying is often seen as an issue for schools to deal with. But practitioners can play a significant role in reducing the harm associated with childhood bullying. Over 45% of children report experiencing bullying outside of the classroom.1
Children who experience or engage in bullying are more likely to seek support from health or social services, making it critical practitioners are knowledgeable and confident in asking about it. Childhood bullying can have significant physical, psychological and socioeconomic consequences for individuals, families and communities. But early intervention and prevention have been found to significantly reduce the chance of long-term negative effects.2,3
This pathway will help you to better understand childhood bullying and its impacts on children’s mental health. In turn, this knowledge will support you to notice, assess and respond to children experiencing or engaging in bullying behaviour and intervene early to improve children’s outcomes.
Learning outcomes
As you progress through this learning pathway you will build your understanding and skills across a range of key areas, including:
- child mental health and how it is impacted by childhood bullying
- identifying potential signs of bullying in children
- the role you can play in preventing and responding to childhood bullying
- the important role of children’s friendships and family relationships in mitigating the effects of childhood bullying
- exploring with a child their experience of bullying behaviour and how it has impacted them
- helping children who have experienced bullying behaviour to elevate their positive connections and sense of self
- working with a child experiencing bullying behaviour to build their support team
- responding to protest from children who have been engaging in bullying behaviour; and
- helping children identify their values and preferences for how they want to interact with others and uncover contrasts between these and their actions in a non-shaming way.
References
- Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia. (2019). Speaking Out Survey 2019. Perth: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
- Arseneault, L. (2018). Annual research review: The persistent and pervasive impact of being bullied in childhood and adolescence: Implications for policy and practice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 59(4), 405–421.
- McDougall, P. & Vaillancourt, T. (2015). Long-term adult outcomes of peer victimization in childhood and adolescence: Pathways to adjustment and maladjustment. American Psychology, 70(4), 300–310.