Monday, July 11, 2011

Novel Approach Urged for Dealing With Bullies

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Bullying is a problem in many schools. A novel suggestion on how to prevent it comes from a Texas psychiatrist who grew up in a rough part of his New Zealand town and who has since become a bullying expert. His name is Stuart Twemlow, M.D.

When one student bullies another in the presence of still other students, Twemlow proposes, the solution is to recruit those bystanders who obviously disapprove of the bullying behavior to help in dispute mediation between the bully and the bullying victim. More often than not these bystanders are happy to assist, he says.

More information on Twemlow's views on bullying and how best to respond to it can be read in Psychiatric News at http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/46/6/20.2.full and in an APPI book authored by Twemlow titled Preventing Bullying and School Violence. For information about ordering the book see http://appi.org/Pages/default.aspx.
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