As we grow up, we tend to swap childhood behaviours, for example, tantrums, in favour of more adult ways of coping with life. And this makes bullying very interesting. No other childhood behaviour is likely to make adults feel angrier, and yet adults bully! And we also seem ambivalent about bullying. We pass laws to prevent bullying in the workplace and yet phrases like, 'I slapped her into place' are often met with a congratulatory response, 'Well done!'
Can you honestly say you have never felt like bullying someone even if you didn't act on it? A lot of bullying can go on in families, but it isn't called bullying, it's called discipline. And what is the difference between charming, persuading, coercing and bullying? Charming has been described as 'getting someone to say yes before they have heard the question'! But charm can easily cross the line to coercion, coercion can easily become bullying.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
