YOUNG BULL School bullying is a global phenomenon with teachers often on the frontline of aggressive behaviour, writes journalist Jessica Willis. While we don’t know the exact age bullying behaviours may develop, research has shown preschool and early primary-aged children, between four and 10 years old, can display bullying behaviours (Ey and Campbell, 2021). However, research into the effect of bullying on ‘victims’ within this young age group has not been as thoroughly investigated as it has with older age groups. What research we do have suggests young children are just as vulnerable to the same negative outcomes as children in upper primary or secondary school. Victims of bullying are more likely to have poorer educational attainment, impacting their opportunity to engage in higher education as well as, in 14 | Bedrock | issue 3 | Vol 26 | 2021
the long term, limiting employment prospects (Ey and Campbell, 2021; UNESCO, 2019). It can also have detrimental effects on the victim’s ability to form and maintain interpersonal relationships later in life. Given this, it is important early childhood education teachers understand bullying, can identify bullying behaviours and implement appropriate prevention and response strategies, not only for their own professional practice but to help educate young children as well.
The research New research by prominent Australian academics, Dr Lesley-Anne Ey and Professor Marilyn Campbell, sought to investigate if Australian early childhood education teachers could define and identify bullying and non-bullying behaviours, as well as whether their understanding of
bullying behaviours are similar or different to primary and secondary school teachers. The study found participants could identify bullying vs nonbullying behaviours “far more efficiently”, compared to previous research conducted with primary and secondary teachers. However, while it found participants had a sound level of understanding of bullying, it was not “comprehensive”. The study overwhelmingly found that additional training and support would help teachers in identifying and correctly responding to bullying behaviours in young children, noting that many preservice teachers report not having covered the topic during their initial teacher education courses. Dr Ey, who is also a former preschool and primary school teacher, said 95 Australian early childhood education teachers participated in a survey assessing their understanding
