Bullying - Part Two

Often times children considered bullies are provoked by the children who are seen as being bullied. All too often adults are on guard for the bullies but not aware of the provocation that takes place prior to the bullying incident.
Children with poor social skills often inadvertently do things that provoke bullies into acting out on their angry and appearing aggressive behavior.
A child with poor social skills unaware of his physical body and his behaviors for example may: get up from his chair put on his coat, while putting on his coat slaps the bully in the face with the sleeve. Later in the day the same child runs through the room stepping on the bully's foot. Now the bully reacts, pushes the child down maybe even hits them. The teacher or adult sees the bully hitting the child and then punishes the bully.
What's missed here is the previous incidences that occurred prior to the bully hitting the child. It is not that you the adult can be aware of everything at all times. You must however look at the big picture and be aware of the personality of both the bully and the bullied child. In the above example this punishment reinforces to the bully that life is not fair and he must fight for himself. What is reinforced for the bullied child is that someone will protect him in spite of the lack of awareness of his behaviors. This also reinforces the possibility that he will be bullied again because he has not been taught to be conscious of his behaviors and how his behaviors affect him directly.
More in part three