Bullying at school is not to be taken lightly

Bullying at school is not to be taken lightly

May 29, 2024 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog

Children being intimidated by their peers at school is widespread and worrying.

Persistent problem

Christina Salmivalli chose school bullying for her master’s thesis three decades ago. Now, she’s a renowned expert on the subject helping European countries tackle it as leader of an EU-funded research project.  She is also a professor of Psychology at the University of Turku in Finland. Sofia Manzanaro, writing for Horizon: The EU Research & Innovation Magazine, reports on her experience.

“The main question is why this happens—why we fail so often in putting an end to bullying,” said Salmivalli. 

In 1918, UNICEF reported that half of the world’s students aged 13 to 15—around 150 million in total—have their education disrupted by bullying and physical fights.  It said that 3 in 10 students in 39 industrialized countries admitted to bullying peers.

Bullying takes various forms including verbal, physical and indirect (such as exclusion from social groups).

While bullying cases in Europe have dropped over the past decade, they remain widespread, according to Salmivalli.  She said that methods for collecting data on bullying vary significantly from country to country and that, as a “very rough” estimate, 10% of school-aged children in Europe may endure such behaviour.

The project that Salmivalli leads is investigating cases of bullying that persist even after school authorities have intervened to address it. Called CHALLENGE, the initiative started in October 2020 and is due to run until the end of September 2025.

Excellent credentials

A highlight of Salmivalli’s career is the development of a programme to address and prevent bullying in schools. 

Named KiVa, it not only serves as Finland’s bullying-prevention program but also is used in schools elsewhere in Europe and beyond including Belgium, Chile, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.K.

The program is based on the idea that the behaviour of peers who witness bullying incidents plays a crucial role in perpetuating or ending them.

Teachers encourage students to stand up for targeted classmates. Through in-class discussions, video games and films, educators raise awareness of various forms of bullying in a bid to foster empathy and respect among students.

To help determine why anti-bullying measures are sometimes ineffective, Salmivalli and her team have gathered data on more than 300 bullying cases in Finland from 31 primary and middle schools.

Participating teachers have registered the anti-bullying steps taken in each case. These include individual and group discussions with children involved in bullying and follow-up meetings on a phone application developed by the researchers.

The team has also gathered information on the “victims” and “perpetrators” through questionnaires that include details about classmates, friends and parents.

Initial findings indicate that around 20% of anti-bullying measures failed to put a stop to such behaviour, according to Salmivalli.

The researchers will now use all the information gathered to evaluate why the bullying persisted in these cases.

“We are just in the process of combining it all in order to understand what happened and what went wrong,” said Salmivalli.

Saliva samples

CHALLENGE is also venturing into molecular genetics to understand the reasons behind unsuccessful efforts to stop bullying.

The project is extracting DNA from saliva samples of students previously involved in KiVa. The aim is to assess whether certain genetic characteristics—such as ones linked to depression or anti-social behaviour—might shed light on failed efforts to stop bullying.

“We expect to find children who were and were not affected by the KiVa intervention and examine which genetically influenced traits are associated with their response, be it either unsuccessful or successful,” said Salmivalli.

Not so natural

Other EU-funded researchers are challenging the long-held view that bullying is merely a natural part of growing up, arguing that peer acceptance is crucial to teenagers as they gain independence from their parents.

In a project called Outside-In, the researchers are evaluating the physical and mental health far beyond the schoolyard of people who endured bullying.

Expected to reach completion by August 2025, the project combines genomics and psychology to assess how adolescents who faced bullying biologically respond to it.

The suspected consequences can last through adulthood and include depression, anxiety, psychosis and sleep disturbances.

“We’re trying to see whether those kinds of victimization experiences can also get under the skin—an impact at the biological level that is potentially much more pervasive than we initially thought,” said Matteo Giletta, who leads Outside-In and is an associate professor of psychology at Ghent University in Belgium.

Inflammatory response

The researchers are examining links between social exclusion faced by teenagers and their susceptibility to increased inflammation, a reaction by the immune system to injury or infection.

The Outside-In team has collected blood samples from 350 participating students. The goal is to extract information from their genomic activity and observe whether these students had a heightened inflammatory response.

Persistent inflammation has been linked to several chronic health conditions including cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, depression and anxiety.

Unlike CHALLENGE, the main goal of Outside-In isn’t to curb bullying by bolstering intervention measures but rather to highlight its long-term effects.

“Those types of experiences can impact every level, going much deeper than what we think,” said Giletta.

Unique period

Salmivalli echoed the point by saying that bullying amounts to a breach of basic human rights.

“There are many children who are really afraid, who feel threatened and unsafe,” she said.

Bullying should also be considered a public-health matter given the lasting effects on the mental and physical well-being of people who endured such behavior, according to Salmivalli.

She cautioned against any complacency in tackling bullying in Europe, saying cases on the continent have increased—albeit only slightly—since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the widespread lockdowns it triggered over two years.

Giletta said the pandemic caused a major disruption for teenagers by isolating them for a lengthy time during very formative years.

“You don’t get back these couple of years,” he said. “And these are unique periods.”

Image supplied by Freepik.

 

 

 

 

Can food be the cause of children’s problems?

Can food be the cause of children’s problems?

May 15, 2024 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog

We’ve known for a long time that food can cause us problems.  The well-known adage ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison’ was reportedly said by Herodotus in 460 BC.  Later, Hippocrates identified that stomach and skin complaints could be caused by drinking milk. 

Yet the link between children’s problems and the food  they eat remains ignored by many.  Inattention is seen to be the result of emotional stressors or a symptom of a mental disorder (ADHD).  This is in spite of much evidence that attention and other typical challenges (can’t complete tasks; loses focus; is aggressive; can’t follow instructions  etc.) may well be linked to brain function that is disrupted by food substances. 

There’s a difference between a food allergy and an intolerance.  A food allergy means any immediate reaction to anything inhaled or eaten or coming into direct contact with the skin.  The reaction (swollen lips and tongue, asthma attack, rash) is immediate and so can usually be traced back to a particular cause.  Peanut and shellfish allergies are perhaps the best known.

Food intolerance is the name for reactions that show up to 72 hours after exposure, making the trigger food or substance much more difficult to identify. While the reactions may not be life-threatening, as in the case of an allergy, they can certainly impact badly on the general health and functioning of the child.  Symptoms of food intolerances can be divided into two broad categories: physical (especially digestive) and mental/emotional/behavioural.

It is much easier to understand the link between what a child eats and what happens in his digestive system than to see the relationship between his food and his feelings, behaviours and learning. Nevertheless, we have known for decades that reactions to foods can cause, amongst others, hyperactivity, nervousness, learning problems, depression, hostility, aggression, periods of confusion, irritability, mood swings and clumsiness.    Partly clouding the issue is that the distinction between allergy and intolerance is still not recognized.  This means the absence of an immediate negative reaction to a food is seldom thought of as a possible cause of emotional/emotional/behavioural issues.

Dr William Philpott, a psychiatrist and an author of an interesting book titled Brain allergies, reported that intolerant reactions to foods and pollutants often trigger violent behaviour. This rings true to ILT practitioners, who have had experience of children as young as 3-years-old being expelled from their nursery schools for violent outbursts.  On careful analysis, the causes were food additives – such as colourants, preservatives and flavouring. 

Another case[1] involved a 5-year old boy with poor speech development.  The child showed an abnormal EEG (brain scan showing abnormal brainwave patterns) and a temper that was out of control.  The boy was found to be intolerant to chocolate, milk and cola, which were then eliminated from his diet for over seven months.  The EEG was repeated and found to be normal, and his behaviour was much improved.  When the culprit foods were then reintroduced, his EEG was once again abnormal and his behaviour worsened.

Common food intolerances

Many foods may be the triggers to adverse reactions but to help alert you to the most likely culprits in childhood, here are the top five usual suspects: 

  1. Cow’s milk products
  2. Food additives and colourings
  3. Gluten grains (wheat, oats, rye, barley)
  4. Sugar
  5. Yeast 

In addition, sometimes the clue to a culprit food may be the food that a child craves and insists on eating all the time.  Eating too much of the same food too often can lead to a food intolerance which then becomes a craving for that food.  Yet another reason to try and ensure that your family has a varied diet.

It is difficult to test reliably for a possible food intolerance and some tests are also expensive.  One method that can be done without expense at home is an elimination diet. 

Elimination diet

As the name suggests, this approach means that you withhold the suspected food to see if symptoms improve. This means being very strict and ensuring that the suspected food is totally absent from the diet.  For example, you may be withholding milk but the child is eating other foods containing milk, for example, baked products, cheese and so on. 

If the symptoms do seem to abate, after a while you add the food back to see if symptoms reappear.  Don’t be in too much of a hurry.  If food tolerance is the cause of the symptoms, it might take up to several weeks to see improvements – especially if the symptom is related to a health condition.  On the other hand, children sometimes show remarkably quick improvement.  An example of this is a young girl who showed mood problems, low energy levels, ‘foggy head’, sore muscles and some digestive problems.  We suspected wheat as her diet was particularly high in this, being part of nearly every meal.  After cutting out all wheat and wheat-containing products (read the labels!), she felt very much better after only a month. In the first few days, she had felt worse, which is a well-known sign of withdrawal from a biochemical addiction. This was a confirmation that the approach was correct and luckily passed after only a short while 

If there are multiple food intolerances, identifying them may be a long and difficult process. Symptoms may not improve even if one suspected food is avoided because other culprit foods may be contributing to the symptoms.  In this case, it would be better to consider a test, for which you should consult a medical doctor with specific knowledge of allergies and intolerances.

Is there a cure for food intolerances?

There is no simple remedy for a condition that is a manifestation of the body’s inability to adapt to certain things, not least eating too much of the same foods too often.  The only real way to deal with a food intolerance is to avoid the food so as to reduce or eliminate the symptoms.

 

Image supplied by Freepik.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Haynes, A J & Savill, A. 2005. The food intolerance bible. HarperThorsons: Berwick upon Tweed

Why antibiotics aren’t always good

Why antibiotics aren’t always good

May 8, 2024 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog

 

A question that interests some health professionals these days is why so many parents worry about vaccines and ponder whether they should be vaccinating their children yet are not at all concerned about giving their children antibiotics. In fact, a number of parents will visit a doctor with the aim of getting a prescription for antibiotics to treat their child’s complaint.  In spite of warnings that antibiotics are becoming less effective because of their  misuse and overuse.  But lately, attention is turning to the damage antibiotics can do to our health.

The use of antibiotics depletes the population of important, ‘good’ gut bacteria in our bodies.  The huge number of beneficial bacteria that we have on our bodies and in our gut is commonly referred to as our microbiota.  The microbiota is essential for our physical and mental health, so destroying large numbers with antibiotics is not good news.

Especially concerning is what antibiotics do to an infant’s microbiota.  Some bacteria in a baby play a critical role in the development of a child’s immune system.  Antibiotic use early in life may raise the risks of allergies and allergic asthma because it reduces the beneficial effects of microbial exposure.  One large study found a link between antibiotic use in the first year of life and symptoms of asthma, hay fever and eczema in children aged between 6 and 7 years.  Early exposure to antibiotics could play a role in the ever increasing rates of food allergies as well.  A study by the University of Chicago recently showed that young mice treated with antibiotics are more likely to develop a peanut-allergy-like condition. Dosing these mice with a certain microbe (called Clostridia) relieved them – seemingly by preventing the peanut proteins from getting into the bloodstream. 

One of the biggest problems with antibiotics is that they often bring about almost instant improvements to a state of ill-health.  A child suffering from a painful ear infection will very quickly start to feel better after antibiotic use.  Why is this a problem?  Because when you start feeling better, there are usually a lot of ‘bad’ bacteria still in your system. If you stop taking the antibiotic as soon as you’re feeling better, it gives the bacteria that were able to survive the early doses a chance to go on and develop a full resistance to that antibiotic.  This means the same antibiotic won’t work for you next time. This is why doctors advise you to finish a course of antibiotics.

The problem is made worse because some doctors may use unreliable methods to decide which antibiotic to prescribe. Different bacteria need different antibiotics.  Lab tests should actually be done to ensure the correct antibiotic use.  Even worse than ‘guessing’ is the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which target wide ranges of bacterial species, resulting in damage to our entire microbiome and not just the ‘bad’ bacteria we need to get rid of. 

Probiotic use in animals 

Once upon a time, sick animals used to be treated with antibiotics in the same way as they are used to treat people.  Then, way back in the 1950’s, it was noticed that low doses of antibiotics caused weight gain in livestock.  Increased size means increased value so low doses of antibiotics has become virtually the norm in animal farming. 

This is a practice that is spreading antibiotic resistance.  While high doses of antibiotics kill virtually any bacteria, low doses allow changes that make bacteria a little more resistant so that when the time comes that a particular bacteria is indeed life threatening, we’ve provided it with a means to protect itself and survive. In addition, the surviving bacteria spread throughout the agricultural industry, can jump between one species and another and infect humans.  That’s why the European Union banned low-dose antibacterial use for fattening livestock in 2006.  In South Africa, we can benefit from limiting our meat intake to sources that are farmed free-range and certified to be free of antibiotics.

And lastly, if low doses of antibiotics fatten up our livestock, do they fatten us up as well?  It seems that the answer, although not yet conclusively proven, might well be yes!

Please be cautious about running to the doctor for that ‘quick-fix’ medication.  In the long run, the benefits might be fewer than you think.

 

[1][1] Most of this content is extracted from the book Follow your gut, by Rob Knight. Published as a TED Book in 2015 by Simon and Schuster.  It is highly recommended reading! If you would like to hear more, you can listen to Rob Knight’s TED Talk, available online at www.TED.com.

Why short bursts of movement in a classroom helps learning

Why short bursts of movement in a classroom helps learning

Apr 24, 2024 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog

Even though we know a lot more these days about how the brain develops and how it functions, many teachers lack useful knowledge about the role of movement in learning.  Movement is responsible for developing the brain in the first place (through the primary reflexive movements) and remains central to efficient learning during the early years of growth and schooling.  Without knowing how to recognise signs that a child may have signs of neurodevelopmental problems (meaning that the nervous system with all its component parts), we concentrate rather on the psychological problems of the child, or the socio-economic environment. 

A far better approach would be to ask the question, does the child have the equipment she needs to succeed at the educational level asked of her and the methods imposed on her?

The answer is related to the fact that there is often a physical basis for learning disabilities.  Not physical in the sense of body growth or health – often children’s physical development is good, yet the foundations on which learning is built and made strong are weak.  This results in them struggling to succeed at school.  Indeed, some do succeed, but they have to put so much extra effort into their learning and performing.  This can continue until adulthood. How many of you know of a colleague who is really good at what he or she does, but pays the price through extreme fatigue at the end of every workday?

So the approach of Integrated Learning Therapy (ILT) is to evaluate a child for possible neurodevelopmental delays and other adverse conditions arising from the environment and then helping them.  The tools used are largely movement activities.

While this works for children with learning disabilities or learning difficulties, using movement in the course of learning can benefit all children.

Here are three sound reasons why children can thrive in a classroom where the teacher introduces regular periods for a little movement:

  1. Movement has been found to help increase learner interest, motivation, and learning.
  2. Movement improves content knowledge, skills, and test scores in core subjects such as mathematics and reading fluency.
  3. Movement may help children meet the recommendation to complete the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day. 

Do consider the significance of these research results.  It is difficult to introduce movement into crowded classrooms, to avoid children becoming disruptive and finding it difficult afterwards to settle down.  The key is to have short, quick ‘movement moments’ as an integral part of the school day from the lowest grades.  This teaches the children that these are part of school and they become so used to it that they don’t see it as an opportunity to get out of hand.

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Extra-mural activities. Too many or too few?

Extra-mural activities. Too many or too few?

Apr 18, 2024 | I'm a Parent, I'm a Teacher, ILT Blog

Many people believe that extra-mural activities are ‘good’ for children.  While this is generally true, it is possible that some families might be rushing children from one activity to another without considering the pressure this might be putting on both children and adults.

How do you get the balance right?  Elise Waghorn discusses this in The Conversation.  Here are her thoughts.

What are the benefits?

Extracurricular activities can provide a range of benefits.

Studies have shown extracurricular activities can help students academically.  There are studies in the USA that show that participation in extra-mural activities may be linked to better maths results and also that children who participate are more likely to complete a university degree.  Other research has shown that young people develop self-confidence, goal setting and the ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations through being involved in extra-murals.  Team activities have especially been shown to reduce anxiety in anxious children, increase a sense of belonging and boost social awareness and skills.

What are the drawbacks?

Too many activities can see children neglect their schoolwork and limit valuable time with the family. It can also have an impact on children’s sleep.

Participating in high levels of sport in particular can lead to injuries and burnout and also lead to an “overtraining syndrome” which means that children don’t have time to recover adequately from training or competitions.

Not only does a child lose interest in the activity but their mood is linked to how well they perform. The activity can also come to dominate the family’s life.

How do you get the balance right?

Consider the financial implications first.  Work out what is financially reasonable and how much time you can commit. Think about not just the game or lesson itself but any other regular training or practice that may be involved.

Do consider what your child is genuinely interested in, rather than what you feel they should do (as this just adds unnecessary pressure).

You could consider limiting children to one or two activities per week. This allows the child to focus on that activity and any training or practice that goes with it.  Each child, however, is different so there is no particular number of activities that is considered ideal.

Some other factors you can consider are:

  • is the child still getting adequate sleep?
  • can they still spend time with the rest of the family?
  • are they able to have some down time?
  • do they enjoy their activities?

What age can you start?

Even very young children aged 2 – 3 years can benefit from extracurricular activities.  Learning to dance, play sports or a musical instrument can help them develop social skills, listen to instructions and generally develop school readiness. There are also benefits in starting extracurricular activities before the age of ten. Research shows if you start before 10, children are more likely to stick with the activity for longer because it will become part of their identity.

Having said that, there is of course no issue with starting new activities after this age as children grow and develop new interests.

Provided by The Conversation. 

Image supplied by Freepik.