Kids tease other kids for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, teasing between friends where no harm is intended and all parties are in on the joke, can be harmless. Other times, it can be mean-spirited, intended to make someone feel badly about themselves.
How can your student or child know whether or not they are being teased maliciously, or good-naturedly by a friend? Let’s talk about a few ways to build their social skills to address teasing and ways they can handle it if it’s bothering them.
Here are a few questions your student or child could ask themselves:
- Is the person teasing me someone I consider a friend or is this someone I don’t know very well?
- Does the teasing make me feel badly, or am I receiving it in a joking manner without ill intent?
- Does the person teasing me keep going even if I don’t laugh with them or tell them it makes me uncomfortable?
These could be signs that the teasing is coming from a place of ill intent. So what should your student or child do if they are experiencing teasing?
- Walk away and ignore the comments.
- Find a friend and talk to them instead.
- Tell an adult nearby, especially if the teasing is threatening in any way.
- Respond to the teasing in a way that is comfortable for you: with humor or sarcasm, assertively – asking them to stop, or neutrally – not giving them any room to keep going.
Being teased can be a hurtful experience for a child. Help prepare your students or child with the social skills necessary to help them recognize and address teasing!
The special education resources on this page were authored by Watson Institute’s special education consultant, Andee Morris, M.Ed.
Powerpoint Presentation:
Resource Materials:
Teasing Social Power Point Card
Pre/Post Assessment
A pre and post lesson assessment is included in each lesson. Use of the assessment is an instructor preference. Many of the ‘homework’ pages for a lesson can be used as a pre/post assessment device alone or as part of the provided assessment. Each homework page can be checked by the instructor as well as the student.
Review all included pages of the lesson to determine what ‘assessment’ method will meet your needs. If the student is able to achieve a + in the majority of items of the pre-assessment, or if the student has been observed to display the skill topic of the lesson often, then the lesson may not be introduced or can be taught with a group as review and/or reinforcement.
If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.