This episode explores the root causes of bullying, an aggressive behavior of intentionally harming or harassing children, leaving lasting negative impacts on both victims and bullies.
Join Dina Sargeant and Jennifer Hancock as they delve into the issue of bullying, discussing valuable insights offered by behavioral science regarding the methods of preventing bullying and empowering parents, educators, and policymakers to create safe and supportive environments for children.
Meet Jennifer Hancock
Jennifer Hancock is the author of The Bully Vaccine and the owner of “The Bully Vaccine Project” website. She teaches skills and techniques based on Operation Conditioning. Such skills and techniques are reliable and are used by reputable animal trainers, being the basis for most successful weight loss programs. She believes that these behavioral modification principles would make drastic positive changes once applied to bullying.
About the episode
In this episode of Raising Parents, Jennifer Hancock defines bullying as a form of harassment toward individuals, highlighting that the behaviors associated with it are considered criminal when implemented among adults. She refers to bullying as a both powerful and devastating experience, depending on whether you are on the sending or receiving end.
According to Jennifer, there is a significant relationship between parenting behaviors and children’s involvement in bullying. She also tackles the importance of behavioral science in understanding bullying. Jennifer states that children’s tendency to be aggressive and manipulative may vary according to different personalities.
As a behaviorist, Jennifer classifies bullying into three categories: adaptive bullying, maladaptive bullying, and bullying related to mental illnesses like psychopathy or sociopathy. She also encourages parents, teachers, and policymakers to recognize bullying as an acquired behavior, emphasizing the importance of education about behavioral change and standing up against bullying.
Jennifer also encourages schools and educational institutions to develop comprehensive bullying prevention plans that are not merely awareness campaigns. She ends the episode with the hopeful outlook that behavioral science is the key to empowering children and cultivating a healthier, kinder, and more empathetic society.
In conclusion
Bullying is a form of harassment involving aggressive behavior intended to socially violate a person, whether mentally or physically. Parenting behaviors play a significant role in fostering ethical strength to stand up against bullies and injustice. Behavioral science provides valuable insights into how bullying is acquired, facilitating interventions and creating safer environments for children.
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