Whose Responsible for The Bullying Of Children by Children?

I recently read an article in a news paper about a 6 year old girl being bullied and sexually abused by 23 other 6 year olds at her school.

The terrified girl was repeatedly attacked in the school grounds by children her own age.

This startling story left me with questions; bearing in mind we are creatures of learned behaviour…

Where did this behaviour derive from?

Why are they behaving in this way?

Are these children form abusive families and need protecting themselves?

Research shows that children can be capable of all kinds of cruelty; they have not yet developed adult sensibility or sensitivity. Remember the film “The Lord of the Flies”.

Young children have a very aggressive survival instinct they do not yet know how to control this behaviour. Also because this assault was delivered within a group they do not think individually but think as a group.

Research also depicts that children cannot and do not understand the mechanics of sex until they are at least 8 years old.

So do we acknowledge that children do not actually fully understand and know about right or wrong and a large part of the information they have about these social interactions is predominantly down to home life and up bringing?

Do we then punish them or their parents/guardians?

Let me know your thoughts on this matter.

Dawn Pugh Therapy expert.

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New Study helps to Stop Bullying, Teasing, Intimidation and Name Calling:

A new study aimed at young children revealed that, it is young girls that are more  prone to taking on the role of the victim of bullying than  that of boys. It is the closeness of their friendships that can make it difficult to escape this victim role.

It was also revealed that children with emotional problems and children from rigid hierarchies seemed more at risk from relational bullying.

These findings depict vital implications for teachers and other professionals that work closely with children.

“These findings call for the development and implementation of intervention programmes that can tackle victimization at the earliest age in primary schools”

Source: British Psychological Society.

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Dawn Pugh Therapy expert.

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Let me know how this information has affected you?

Dawn Pugh psychotherapist.