Role Playing Can Reveal Victims of School Violence
You may remember role playing as a child. It was a fun time had by those involved because you got to dress up and pretend to be someone that you weren’t. Today, there are many possibilities when it comes to using role playing to reveal victims of school violence. The good news is that role playing can be implemented for children of all ages from the very young kindergartener to the high school senior and the results can all be positive.
Role playing works in revealing victims of school violence because it allows children to step into an imaginary role and to act out what comes to mind. This is an important key to helping children who are victims of school violence but are afraid to step forward for fear of repercussions or retaliation. While engaged in role playing, many children feel free to behave in a natural manner because it is under the pretence that they are not themselves. They tend to naturally open up to the role they have been assigned, even when it is the role of a victim of school violence. Often times even children who have not been victims but have witnessed other children being victimized.
Engaging skits about school violence make it easy to let children play out a role that demonstrates signs of victimization when it comes to what has happened to them that they have been uncomfortable speaking to anyone about. Role playing provides a safe, controlled atmosphere where both students and teachers can learn how to spot warning signs of children who have been hurt by school violence; both directly and indirectly.
Many children who have experienced school violence are afraid to speak up because they believe that they are the only ones. They often fear being ostracized by other students for tattle telling and worry that their friends will think differently of them for reporting to teachers. The reality is that role playing is a productive way to engage all students, even those who have shown violence in the past and to provide a productive atmosphere that shows both sides of the coin.
In schools where violence is a recurring problem, role playing can even be incorporated into sessions with social workers, psychologists and local police so that children who are being victimized realize they do not have to suffer in silence or alone. Uncovering hidden victims of school violence with role playing provides a safe way to reach out to children of all ages and help them with any type of violence they have experience in association with school. Role playing can also be a fun and positive way to bring back confidence to children who have been victimized.
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