September 28, 2015 - 16:01
As a child the schoolyard is one of the most unsupervised places where play happens. Though adults may be present to ‘supervise’ there is no way for them to keep a watch over every student and this opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for children to be hurt. I don’t mean just hurt physically, I mean emotionally as well. The schoolyard is a place where a lot of bullying happens. While I was lucky enough never to have been truly bullied on the schoolyard, mostly because I made sure to stay out of the line of fire, I have seen how bullying can occur through the eyes of my younger sister.
My sister was picked on a lot in elementary school. It happened in the classroom, but when it did, it was swiftly dealt with. But when it happened in the schoolyard things didn’t always get resolved so quickly. There were both boys and girls that would pick on her in a variety of ways, mostly verbally but also that kid’s kind of mean exclusion and looks. Often she would try to get an adult but sometimes they weren’t available. On more than one instance she retaliated in some way, they’d laugh at her, tell an adult, and she’d be the one in trouble. She was the one being bullied and yet she would be the one sent to the vice principals office.
Play opens a whole new world of possibilities for kids to get hurt and hurt each other. Recess, while a very fun thing for a child, can result in bullying and exclusion. Play may be a good thing, but sometimes having an adult present and paying attention can help alleviate possible scenarios where play goes from good to bad.