Under the Impact Self Defence banner and we also include a Bully Aware Course for all our children at Impact Kickboxing.
Unlike other ‘anti bullying’ programmes ours has been written to focus on educating children to identify the 2 aspects of this horrible situation and to both speak out to teachers, parents and also to support the victim.
We don’t believe we can ever stop it but education can help to prevent it.
The 2 aspects the programme focuses on are verbal and physical. The facts that are missed by many with both aspects are that in adults both are crimes! Verbal bullying is harassment, physical bullying is assault – even worse and dependant on the reason for the bullying it could even be considered as a hate crime! Failing to deal with bullying in schools is failing to deal with criminal offences being inflicted on the victim by the offender(s).
Schools have rules relating to no fighting which are absolutely correct and must be followed, however everyone has the right to defend themselves in law and our programme focuses on that too. Fighting by definition is 2 people trying to hurt each other, self defence (a right under common law) is one person trying to hurt another and the other stopping them. Preventing or punishing a victim for using this fact is infringing on their rights to defend themselves.
Can mastering self-control prevent bullying?
For Bullies: Children who bully others can be impulsive, hot-headed, and dominant. Martial arts helps prevent bullying by helping these kids become more aware of their own thoughts and emotions, and training them to control negative impulses that could lead to bullying behaviors.
For Kids Who Are Bullied: Victims of bullying often are not adept at recognising what kind of behaviour triggers a bully to lash out. Martial arts helps stop bullying by empowering these children to control their own behaviours in such a way that will stop a negative situation from spiralling into conflict or violence.
Can learning Self Defence stop bullying?
For Bullies: Children who bully others are often driven by the desire for power. They discover how effective it can be to use their power in an aggressive way to control and subdue others. Martial arts classes help prevent bullying by constantly emphasizing the importance of using karate for self-defense only, never for offense.
For Kids Who Are Bullied: As we mentioned above, bullies pick victims that they think will be easy targets. Martial arts classes help stop bullying by teaching children how to defend themselves. Once they are armed with this knowledge, they will naturally project a much more confident image and thus, not come across as an easy target for bullies.
Why does confidence building stop bullying?
For Bullies: Bullies often enjoy status and prestige because others fear them. They also command a lot of attention for their behavior. Martial arts helps prevent bullying by building up these children’s confidence in other arenas, so that they won’t need to resort to bullying for attention or approval.
For Kids Who Are Bullied: Bullies pick victims that they think will be easy targets. What makes an easy target? A child who seems weak, unsure of herself, or easily scared. Martial arts helps stop bullying by building up children’s confidence so that they are able to project an aura of strength and ensure that they are not perceived as easy targets.
