Amplifying empathy in teachers can help prevent student suspensions, researchers find

Sandy Goodwick posted:

Please don't put the cart before the horse. Please remember -  (1) that bullying is a national public health concern, per CDC;

(2) that the definition of bullying, per CDC, ***is insufficient*** and sets too low of a bar. In essence, only the worst forms of bullying meets this definition:     

     "CDC defines bullying as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, involving an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.1 A young person can be a perpetrator, a victim, or both (also known as a "bully/victim")."

(3) that WORKPLACE BULLYING IN EDUCATION is a stark reality (www.aft.org/sites/default/file...urveyresults2015.pdf)

WE NEED EMPATHIC TEACHERS! But we don't get empathy when (1) the definition of bullying is so inadequate that much student bullying is ignored, (2) there are no state/federal laws prohibiting workplace bullying - we are the only western country lacking such laws

Rather than see programs designed to foster teacher empathy as a 'solution',  start looking at 'where empathy went' (it got lost in bullying). Investigate your school community's quality of work life, along with the school district, teachers and other employees, parents, students and community members. Envision the entire school community as one intersecting environment. 

The key is to hold adults who "teach" bullying accountable and then worry about laws for children. Right now in US and Canada, emotional abuse (ie adult bullying) is fine; there are no laws, no deterrents, nothing that stops it and if there is, it's chaotic, lacks federal sanction, is random. Adult bullying of children is rampant in sports for example and nothing is done about it. The UK has changed this by recently making emotional abuse criminal. Can't happen soon enough in US and Canada. It will change so much for the better. 

As a teacher, when I read that we need to "humanize" the children in our class and see if they perform better, I am truly disturbed. No adult should be allowed in a class or on a court or field if they do not have a profound knowledge that their "clients" are humans and more importantly are children. Kids lack knowledge and power so they are the ultimate victims. If systems are not in place to protect them, they are at the mercy of teachers who fail to recognize their fragile humanity. We need legal changes like the UK who made emotional abuse criminal. 

Please don't put the cart before the horse. Please remember -  (1) that bullying is a national public health concern, per CDC;

(2) that the definition of bullying, per CDC, ***is insufficient*** and sets too low of a bar. In essence, only the worst forms of bullying meets this definition:     

     "CDC defines bullying as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, involving an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.1 A young person can be a perpetrator, a victim, or both (also known as a "bully/victim")."

(3) that WORKPLACE BULLYING IN EDUCATION is a stark reality (www.aft.org/sites/default/file...urveyresults2015.pdf)

WE NEED EMPATHIC TEACHERS! But we don't get empathy when (1) the definition of bullying is so inadequate that much student bullying is ignored, (2) there are no state/federal laws prohibiting workplace bullying - we are the only western country lacking such laws

Rather than see programs designed to foster teacher empathy as a 'solution',  start looking at 'where empathy went' (it got lost in bullying). Investigate your school community's quality of work life, along with the school district, teachers and other employees, parents, students and community members. Envision the entire school community as one intersecting environment.