Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 30/01) - Schoolyard bullying has become a timely issue with parents and educators in recent years.

Violent incidents, such as those which occurred in Columbine, Colo., and Taber, Alta., has led to plenty of soul searching among teachers, counsellors, social workers and anyone else who works with children.

Marilyn Langevin, clinical director of the Institute of Stuttering Treatment and Research at the University of Alberta, was in Yellowknife giving talks on teasing and bullying in schools. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

They have also initiated a desperate search for a key to help understand the root causes of school violence.

"It's becoming an ever-increasing problem," said Marilyn Langevin, clinical director of the Institute of Stuttering Treatment and Research at the University of Alberta.

She is also the author of Teasing and Bullying: Unacceptable Behaviour.

"Up to 60 per cent of kids get teased and bullied at school at one time, and about 30 per cent report being teased once a week or more," Langevin said.

Langevin was in Yellowknife to give presentations on methods for combating the harm caused by teasing and bullying. She made an appearance at the professional development conference at Sir John Franklin high school yesterday, and spoke at an Elk's Lodge-sponsored event at the Baker Centre later in the evening.

Her two main messages are that teasing can be every bit as harmful as physical bullying, and that punitive actions against bullies is not always the best solution.

"Teasing, in particular, is a bullying behaviour, and lot of people don't recognize that," said Langevin.

"Those kids in Columbine were teased, and teased, and teased."

Langevin identified three categories of students in schools: Bullies, victims, and peers. The consequences of bullying behaviour, she said, can have dire effects all the above groups.

"Research shows that children that bully are risk for being in an abusive relationship," said Langevin.

It is important to understand, she said, that bullies behave the way they do for a reason.

In a city like Yellowknife, with a highly transient population, many children feel alone and have difficulty friends.

This can lead to increased bullying behaviour, Langevin said.

She said the best approach is giving children resolution strategies, such as role playing, and open discussions between teachers, bullies, and their victims.

Langevin was not aware that a similar program -- Restitution -- already exists at J.H. Sissons, but commended the school for their efforts.

There are too many misconceptions about why bullies behave they way they do, and what is the best way to deal with them, said Langevin.

"The idea of looking at what underlies the behaviour, and why the child is engaging in that behaviour is extremely important," said Langevin.