Study: Why do kids bully those they see as different?

A recent study conducted by folks behind the Teasing and Bullying: Unacceptable Behaviour (TAB) program found that one of the reasons why bullies torment kids who stutter is:

They were unaware of the speech impediment.

Before I explain further…

TAB is a program developed to decrease bullying aimed at children who stutter. The group works with kids from grades 4 – 6, but the program can be tweaked to accommodate younger children.

And if you continue reading, you’ll see why TAB can be effective on children bullied for other reasons aside from stuttering too.

Creative Commons Flickr via  Chesi – Fotos CC

How does TBA crush the bullying behavior?

Here are points I gathered from the study (which was conducted to measure the program’s effectiveness) and information from their website.

By creating awareness on children with differences. According to the study’s findings, kids who have family members or friends who stutter were more sensitive to peers who have the speech impediment.

On the flip side, children who don’t know anyone who stutters had a negative attitude towards stutterers.

With the program’s help, bullies are given the proper education on children with differences to increase sensitivity. And of course, decrease bullying.

By changing the perception of bullying. When children – bullies and non-bullies alike – are taught that the behavior is unacceptable, bullies lose power. This is because their peers no longer think bullying is “cool” which diminishes their social status.

These two seemed hinged on the belief that: attitudes predict behaviors.

It makes sense. Behavior can be changed by first changing attitude.

So, how does this affect you?

If you feel strongly about ending bullying in your children’s school, you may recommend the TAB program to educators. It’s ready to use and implement, and they ship materials internationally. Go here for more information.

Question: What are you doing to eradicate bullying today?