Out-of-school time settings present some particular challenges and opportunities for preventing and addressing bullying.
Challenges
* Bullying thrives where there is not enough supervision. When adult staff and volunteers supervise large numbers of youth, bullying may go unnoticed.
* Adults who do not interact with children regularly (e.g., meet once or twice a week and for brief periods) are often unfamiliar with the youths’ personalities, behavior patterns, and friendships. This can make it difficult for adults to tell the difference among bullying, rough play, and conflicts between youth and to know how and when to intervene.
* Staff with extended-day programs may find that bullying during the school day carries over into before- and after-school activities.
Opportunities
* Some children learn best from less structured, hands-on experiences and without the pressure and competition typical in the classroom setting. Out-of-school time programs can easily integrate lessons that build self-control, confidence, and even resilience to bullying.
* Children usually bully peers who are their same age or younger. In out-of-school time settings that include children of different ages, younger children may be at risk for being bullied. This offers an opportunity to call upon older adolescents to mentor or protect younger children or others who may be particularly vulnerable to bullying.
* Children and youth who are bullied at school can benefit greatly from taking part in activities that allow them to pursue their interests and discover their talents and develop friendships with peers who share these interests. Doing so can increase their self-assurance and self-esteem. Children who are bullied also may benefit from having a chance to make friends with peers other than their classmates. Sometimes it can be a relief for these children to interact with peers who don’t go to their school and who don’t view them as a victim of bullying.
* Children and youth who bully others in school tend to spend time with peers who support their bullying and who have positive attitudes toward violence. They, too, may benefit from community programs that separate them from their classmates. In closely supervised and structured settings, it is possible to challenge children who bully to use their social skills in constructive and appropriate ways.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services