Q A six-year-old boy in my class has always been a bit of a bully. Yesterday one of his victims suddenly thumped him back. The class teacher told him off for hitting. I think he should have been praised for standing up for himself. Who is right?
A You are both right! Your different approaches highlight the fact that bullying is contagious. Adults may feel so outraged by a child bully that they in effect try to bully the child into behaving differently. Bullying is about power and domination.
A child can only be a bully if other children let them. The child who refuses to cower stops the bully in their tracks. But in the face of intimidation it is almost natural not to stand up for oneself. There is a difference between 'standing up for yourself' and bullying in return.
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