quick clicks

preschoolers today articles

preschoolers today q&a

children today articles

children today q&a

community & groups

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Little Tough Guys

Handling Preschool Bullies

By Teri Brown

A lot has been written lately on bullies in our schools: how to keep your child from being bullied, what to look for, how to handle school authorities, etc. Most schools have adopted a no tolerance approach, which will hopefully make our schools a safer place for our children.

This proactive approach is due in part to recent studies which show that about half of children and adolescents experience bullying at some point during their lives. Statistics show that approximately one in five of our children are being bullied on a regular basis.

Bullying takes many forms, including teasing, verbal threats, physical intimidation or fighting. But does bullying occur in preschools and daycare facilities? How bad can the bullying be in the 5 and under set, and what can a concerned parent do about it?

Mary Hake of Madras, Ore., was a part-time assistant teacher at a small daycare/preschool facility. She found that bullying wasn't that uncommon among younger children. "I observed some children, usually boys, hitting, kicking and verbally abusing other children, usually those weaker or younger than themselves," says Hake. "One in particular seemed to feel the need to use such behavior to show he was tough and in control. He was very manipulative and rude at times and did not want to cooperate. Often he would tell certain children they could not play in the games he planned."

Hake and the others used time-outs and other nonphysical methods to try to control the behavior, but admits that this isn't always effective. "For those (children) with deep-seated problems, this only dealt with symptoms but didn't really change the person," says Hake. "They needed more help than we provided."

According to Alice Honig, professor emeritus of child development in Syracuse University's College of Human Services and Health Professions, the first thing you need to do as a parent is recog

Want to see more?

• Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones And Words Can Hurt, Too
• Inside the Mind of a Bully
• Battling Bullies: Putting an End to Schoolyard Conflicts
• I Think My Child Is Being Bullied: A Guide for Parents
• Talk about it!