Teaching Empathy Helps Stop Bullying Online and at School

In today’s school environment, bullying remains a significant issue that affects students' wellbeing and sense of security. While traditional approaches focus on discipline, teaching empathy and kindness offers a more powerful, proactive solution. 

By teaching empathy, schools can nurture compassionate behavior, which helps prevent bullying before it starts. This post explores how kindness-centered initiatives create a supportive, respectful school culture and outlines practical strategies for educators to build empathy in students, helping to reduce bullying both online and in school settings.

Why Do We Need to Teach Kindness and Empathy?

Experts advocate that teaching empathy and kindness is non-negotiable in schools to reduce bullying. Why? Because kindness is the antithesis of bullying and empathy is the foundation of kindness.  

Being kind means that you consider the needs, feelings, and concerns of others to ensure you act appropriately. Having empathy means you're able to put yourself in someone's shoes to understand their needs, feelings, and concerns. 

These two character traits are a powerful combination for eliminating bullying and we're not the only ones who think so! 

UNICEF Malaysia is just one organization who shares our passion for teaching it. They started a champaign to "address violence against children by empowering students to practice kindness and empathy." A Kindness Leaders Conference was organized "to empower young people to be kind and empathetic in solving society’s conflicts and to promote shared values and understanding to end bullying and other forms of violence against children."

Why is Empathy So Important?

Empathy is a critical interpersonal skill that everyone needs to cultivate throughout their life. It plays an important role in shaping our children's future selves and can affect everything from their health, happiness, level of resilience, and even the amount of money or possessions they have. 

It is essential for good communication and maintaining positive, meaningful relationships that lead to safe, caring, and inclusive communities and school environments. It's also shown that highly empathetic children are more engaged in the classroom and enjoy greater academic achievement. 

Are Today's Youth Less Empathic?

Dr. Michele Borba is an internationally recognized expert and author on children, teens, parenting, bullying, and moral development. She believes technology plays a large part in the decline in empathy.  

“American teens are now 40 percent less empathetic than they were three decades ago. While we are producing a smart and self-assured generation, today's students are also the most self-centered, competitive, individualistic, sad, and stressed on record.”

“Our culture has undergone a seismic shift,” says Dr. Borba. “Self-promotion, personal branding, and self-interest at the exclusion of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns” is “permeating our culture and slowly eroding our children’s character.”

Do Bullies Have Empathy?

There is a general perception that children who bully lack empathy. This is an understandable assumption given their anti-social and hurtful behavior and is certainly true to a point.

Research shows that bullies do, in fact, possess empathy. According to Daniel Goleman; '“cognitive empathy” is simply knowing how the other person feels and what they might be thinking. But there can be a dark side to this sort of empathy – in fact, those who fall within the “Dark Triad” – narcissists, Machiavellians, and sociopaths can be talented in this regard, while having no sympathy whatever for their victims.'

The type of empathy a bully may lack is known as “affective empathy” or “emotional empathy” which is the ability to experience other people's feelings as their own and respond appropriately to their pain.

Can Children Learn Empathy?

Dr. Borba has spent the past decade working with over one million parents and educators while researching empathy. She is convinced that it is possible to solve the empathy crisis. 

She says teaching empathy “requires ongoing, embedded work guided by strong school leaders who are empathetic themselves” and that “gauging success won't come from a grade or score, but from a student's response. Look for smiles, engagement, joy, and even tears: lessons in empathy can be life-altering.”

While writing her book UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World, Michele identified 9 competencies that serve as an educator's guide for empathy education.

Michele assists educators in their quest for growing empathy with the points below. 

Principles of Effective Empathy Education

Teaching empathy effectively requires seven core principles guided by strong, empathetic school leaders.

Social Media Can Be Used to Encourage More Empathy

Sue Scheff is an author, parent, and cyber advocate. In her book Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate, she offers insight on how to protect our children against a growing lack of empathy and safely navigate the ever growing and often cruel world of cyberspace. 

“We need to remember, that the majority of young people have smartphones (95%) and 45% of them say they're online constantly. With just over 50 percent (59%) of teens saying they have experienced online bullying or harassment, we need to encourage our young people to be upstanders online as well as offline.”

“There is no doubt that the best antidote to curb bullying is empathy. I'm impressed with the number of what we are calling in my latest book, Shame Nation, #NiceItForward campaigns. These inspiring campaigns are being created by students and others that want to spread kindness and build morals in their schools.”

“We can spread kindness in a click. Sending out a cyber-heart or a cyber-hug, letting your friend know you're in their corner. Kindness matters - online and offline.

With so many of us digitally connected, we can't forget that we all have the ability to spread kindness through our keypads too.”