During the past few weeks, most teachers have been working with their classes on anti-bullying lessons. One of the most difficult distinctions for children, especially the younger ones is that between being a tattle tale and an appropriate reporting of an incident. Students are told that they should not stand by when they witness people being hurt or if they think that others will be hurt, both physically and socially. It is an important distinction that many teachers have addressed in explicit lessons. It is a good idea to have a conversation with your child about when it is important to report.
Here are definitions:
- Tattling: reporting to an adult to get someone into trouble, or reporting when no one is in danger and rules are not being broken. It is not about keeping people safe.
- Threatening: indicating intention to harm or hurt; saying that something bad or mean will be done to someone. If you hear this, you should report it.
- Reporting/asking for help: when you ask an adult for help or report unsafe things to an adult, you are doing it to help someone who is in danger, who is being hurt, or having their feelings hurt. The goal of telling an adult is to help and to keep students safe. This is not being a tattle tale.
A useful resource for both parents and teachers is prevnet.ca, which is a research based site devoted to the understanding and prevention of bullying with resources for parents and children as well as professionals.