Bullying in the primary school. Theoretical and practical handbook for teachers and operators.

Buccoliero E., Maggi M.

Franco Angeli

Italian

English

Primary school - prevention – minor aggressiveness – group dynamics – practical strategies

Book

Teachers, School Directors.

Over 100 pages

The book analyses the development of aggressiveness in childhood, the violence towards animals as a risk factor, the potential relationships among TV programmes-videogames and aggressive attitudes, the similarities and differences between bullying and misbehaviour. Here you will find the outcomes of a survey that involved various cities in Italy together with a plan of profitable coexistence in a civil society as a device to face aggressive behaviours.
The writers – thanks to the help of university teachers, researchers, headmasters, teachers and school operators – created this book that is addressed directly to people working in primary schools. The first part - that is the outcome of a survey carried out in several Italian cities – focuses on the theme of aggressiveness in childhood, of violence towards animals as a risk factor, the potential relationships among TV programmes-videogames and aggressive attitudes, the similarities and differences between bullying and misbehaviour. The second part includes some intervention projects that were carried out in very different cities such as Turin, Milan, Soliera (MO), Codogno (LO) and Savigliano (CN) and it points out strength and weakness. An evaluation plan was also carried out focusing on the positive results with children. The last and most consistent part includes a list of activities to be carried out in class in order to promote protective strategies, prevention and the fight against abuse; these are accessible to all teachers and educators if they have an adequate training of the group dynamics, empathy and child observation skills. These strategies are included in the attached cd-rom together with charts, comics and stories, film questionnaires and board games (the game of the goose).

Even if the studies of bullying started in primary schools some decades ago, the media and the public opinion consider this phenomenon a typical attitude of adolescents, and they make people believe that children are able to carry out aggressive attitudes intentionally because they aim to cause harm to weaker people. It is often neglected the idea that bullying is connected with group dynamics because bullies feel the need to be leader within the group, to get their attention and acknowledgement. For the rest of the group it is necessary to have rules and directions when adults are not able to offer security and rules. Children attending primary schools are also involved and the weaker children are the ones who pay the price for this.

don Milani