In the posting on Bully Radar I noted how bullies are very effective at picking out potential victims through their body language and lack of eye contact. Even the tone of voice can be a signal to a bully.
Notwithstanding the various interventions parents, school officials, social services and law enforcement agencies offer the bullying victim, role-playing can provide a very important part in helping victims or potential victims to deal effectively with bullying. Role-playing is important in teaching both children and adult bullying victims the difference between less effective or inappropriate methods versus methods that have been proven over time to work.
Role-playing should teach the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive responses to a bully. Role-playing needs to be age-specific just as the methods of bullies can be very different from the school yard to the office environment.
After years of teaching different age groups, we know for example that children learn best in a non-threatening, fun environment. Learning is most effective for all ages when individuals know they are safe and supported. Guided group discussion, supportive coaches and peers and the introduction of different scenarios in which the appropriate responses are reinforced and hard-wired can be extremely empowering and effective. The tangible results are increased self esteem and confidence in being able to appropriately deal with bullying situations. This often takes several sessions in which lessons are repeated and wired into learned responses patterns of behavior.
I will have more to say about the hard-wiring of specific responses to bullying scenarios in future posts including the association we have with one of the most effective training methods in North America.
