Speaker
Description
Bullying in schools remains a difficult problem to solve (e.g. Gaffney et al., 2019). Interventions are almost all developed by adults and, although mostly based on scientific research, they do not always do justice to what children consider bullying (e.g., Yabarra et al., 2019). This difference may be a major reason why existing approaches do not work well. The first aim of the current study was therefore to better understand children’s perspectives on (targeting) bullying. The second aim was to find out whether theater is a way to systematically gain insight into children's perspectives.
Theater sessions were held in three schools in the Netherlands. 65 children (grades 3 and 4) participated. They were asked to make-up a bullying scenario and to play it. The sessions had a fixed structure and were video recorded.
Scenarios were mostly about physical or verbal forms of bullying. The concept that bullying is intentional was represented, power imbalance and repetitiveness were not. Children showed clear disapproval of bullying and think that repressive measures work best to target bullying. Children found it difficult to play and to empathize with a role. Yet, they also indicated that playing helped them understand how another person might feel.
This research shows that (scientific) definitions and underlying assumptions about bullying are not fully reflected in children's perspectives. It also shows that theater can be used as a tool in research and interventions, but time need to be spent on learning children how to play and to empathize with roles.
Keywords
school bullying, children's perspectives, interactive research
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
|---|---|
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Qualitative method study |
