Intervention only reinforces bad behaviour
Teachers should resist the urge to intervene in bullying when ever possible, according to a new study by University College London and U.S. researchers. Instead of disciplining aggressors, educators should encourage all students to reflect on the incidents at the end of the day. This approach, dubbed CAPSLE (Creating a Peaceful School Learning Environment) was tested over three years in nine U.S. public schools with 1,300 children aged eight to 11. The research showed that without special treatment, students were less likely to fall into the roles of victim and bully, and during reflection, tended to be harder on themselves than teachers would have been.