Being a victim of schoolyard thugs can help pupils learn how to manage disputes and boost their ability to interact with others
According to official figures, almost half of children claim they are bullied at school.
One of the biggest studies of its kind by Ofsted showed 48 per cent of young people had been verbally or physically abused in the last year.
It comes despite a raft of Government initiatives designed to crack down on attacks and intimidation.
Writing on the website Spiked, Dr Guldberg said: “Teachers are increasingly lumbered with the task of looking after children’s health and wellbeing rather than being allowed to get on with the task of educating them.
“Children are encouraged to assume their relationships with other children are damaging, and tacitly encouraged to look upon their peers with trepidation and suspicion.”
She added: “If we treat children as if they cannot possibly cope with hurtful experiences, then we will likely undermine their confidence and make them less likely to cope with difficult events in the future. In effect, we will prevent them from growing up.”
The comments echo remarks made by teachers in recent years who claim the education system has been too focused on developing children’s social skills at the expense of academic learning.
But Sue Steel, national manager of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, said: “Children who are being bullied often find it difficult to tell anyone. Teachers can help by maintaining an appropriate level of vigilance.”
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Full article and photo: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/4400779/Bullying-at-school-can-be-good-for-you.html
