Solid Kids, Solid Schools interviews found that Aboriginal students bully other students for varying and complex reasons. Bullying behaviour is influenced largely by the family and school environments.
Many parents and carers, AIEOs and Aboriginal teachers speak of the pattern in bullying behaviours. The bullying behaviours reported from Yamaji children and young people generally involved teasing when younger and more physical types of bullying when older.
- Yamaji wangi
- ‘You are more likely to be bullied if you are considered vulnerable or weak. Smaller children are more vulnerable.’
- Yamaji wangi
- ‘When Aboriginal children can’t make themselves clear, they get frustrated. If they are not being treated fairly, they may retaliate against another child…these kids might lash out and then get labelled as ‘bullies’.’
- Yamaji teacher
The Solid Kids, Solid Schools project found that:
- teasing and name-calling, hitting, kicking and threats were the most frequent types of bullying
- girls’ bullying was usually done by spreading rumours and gossiping
- boys were more prone to violent and physical bullying behaviour
- boys were less likely to categorise teasing as a form of bullying
- both boys and girls said kids were bullied because they ‘didn’t fit in’
- the use of mobile phones in bullying has increased at similar rates among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal kids in the region
- Yamaji wangi
- ‘Well they target the victim, they know which ones to pick on – usually the smaller ones that can’t stick up for themself and then they usually start off by giving that kid dirty looks, I think to see their reaction.
- Then they start to sling off, saying a few little nasty things and then they get worse. Usually by now they have extra kids on their side and feeling tougher themselves.
- Then they pretty much continue on with the teasing and name calling, then as time goes on it gets worse and worse and eventually they end up hitting them and terrorizing them for a couple of days’.
- Yamaji parent/carer
