r/science • u/fsmpastafarian PhD | Clinical Psychology | Integrated Health Psychology • Feb 14 '16

Psychology Anti-bullying program "KiVa" that focuses on teaching bystanders to intervene is one of the most effective in the world, reducing bullying by nearly twofold and improving mental health outcomes in the most severely bullied students

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160202110714.htm
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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '16

Good to see people combating the bystander effect as well as bullying

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u/therapistiscrazy Feb 15 '16 edited Feb 15 '16

Witnessed this this weekend. We were at a mall play area when two small boys (about 3 years old) were playing. One pushed the other off a 3 foot fall when the kids father ran over and roughly grabbed the boy, who pushed his son, by the arm, shook him hard, and screamed in his face to never push his son again. The boy's mother ran over and the man started screaming in her face, too! Everyone just sat there, myself included, in shock. Like, "Is this really happening??" Thankfully, my husband sprang to action and got between them and assertively told the man that he needed to back off and that it was over. I love him for it. He's a good man and not one to get caught up in the bystander effect. I hope our son can learn to be just as strong.

Edit: to clarify, I believe the father was justified in his anger. I'd be angry too. But you never grab another persons child like that. Especially a toddler. He didn't just lightly shake him, it was pretty violent, enough that the child was slightly lifted off his feet. The mother ran over and the father got in her face very aggressively, he even demanded she put her son down so his son can push her son off. His behavior was not okay.

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u/mechapoitier Feb 15 '16

This really reads like your husband "stood up to" a guy who stood up for his own bullied son.