Working with Kids Who Bully: New Perspectives on Prevention and Intervention

We all know bullying impacts the academic and emotional lives of our young people. We see it in our schools and hear about it in the news. If we know it’s a problem, why is it still happening? Often it’s because we fail to address the individuals at the heart of the problem—the kids who engage in the behaviour.

In Working With Kids Who Bully. Walter Roberts challenges us to shift our thinking about these youth and offers innovative approaches to help kids pull back from and stop bullying.

Readers will find:

• Information on a range of topics impacting schools today, including cyberbullying, relational aggression, mediation, building empathy, and bibliomedia therapy
• Strategies and sample dialogue to use when intervening with kids who bully
• Diagrams and charts to clarify suggested approaches

Written by an expert on bullying, this is a book designed to stimulate change and ultimately help create safer learning environments for all kids.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Foreword

Part 1 – Current and New Perspectives on Bullying Behaviors

1. Why A Book on Those Who Bully?
2. Understanding Those Who Bully
3. What Exactly Is Bullying Today?
4. Relational Aggression
5. The Law and Bullying Behaviors

Part 2 – Working with Those Who Choose to Bully

6. Will This Stuff Work?
7. Essential Skills for Interveners
8. Making the Communication and Relational Connection
9. Forced Apologies and Mediations
10. Applying Elements of Restorative Justice Techniques with Those Who Choose to Bully
11. Building Empathy within Those Who Bully
12. Thought Before Action: Slowing Down Impulsive Behaviors
13. Morality as a Component of Bullying Prevention
14. Dealing with the Demon that Is Anger
15. When Bullies Live in Space
16. Bystanders or Upstanders?
17. Engaging the Parent
18. Documentation
19. Bibliomedia Therapy
20. When All Else Fails
21. Potholes, Gravel, and Road Tar

References

Resources

"Lots of times we focus on helping the victims, but Walter Roberts addresses how to help parents of children who are bullying, as they need tips rather than 'shaming."
- Brigitte Tennis, Headmistress & Eighth Grade Teacher (10/22/2015)

"The strengths of Working With Kids Who Bully are the vignettes posed, the reflection for analyzing the "bullying" situation, and the suggestions, almost specific guidance, for responding in a timely and "empathetic" manner."
- Dana Salles Trevethan, Interim Superintendent (10/26/2015)