Paxton Popoffalot of Wassup? News here. I’m speaking with Ms
Smithers, a Rational Emotive Behaviour Educator in the fifth of five chats
about Have a Go Spaghettio! an early childhood, Rational Emotive BehaviourTherapy based pedagogy for early childhood educators, counsellors and learners.
We were talking about helping the victim in the bullying dynamic
when we last spoke. Would you like to talk to this Ms Smithers?
“I came across a quote
attributed to Jonas Salk, creator of the polio vaccine who said to Martin Seligman,
"If I were a young scientist today, I would still do
immunization. But instead of immunizing kids physically, I'd do it your way.
I'd immunize them psychologically. I'd see if these psychologically immunized
kids could then fight off mental illness better. Physical illness, too."
I found this interesting and in
terms of Success Helper/Brain Friend thinking, or in REBT terms, rational
thinking, unconditional self-acceptance would be the antidote to beliefs that
undermine confidence i.e., conditional acceptance of self, a Success Stopper/Brain
Bully habit of thinking. Once identified, the at risk victim, is given a strong
dose of ‘I’m worthwhile crocodile’ attention,’ the Red Success Have a GoSpaghettio! Success Helper. “
What does this look like, how is this analogous to the idea
of ‘immunisation? Asks Popoffalot.
“From what I can gather when one
is immunised the body is rendered resistant to an infectious disease via vaccination.
The vaccine ‘trains’ the immune system to recognise and fight viruses and germs
that can harm us. Unconditional self-acceptance (Red Success Helper thinking) learning
would be the ‘vaccine’ that ‘trains’ the mind to ‘know’ that a healthy ‘self’ doesn’t
‘need’ the approval of others. The child will learn to know that their sense of
‘OK-ness’ doesn’t rely on the assessment of others, they will develop confidence
and this attitude will communicate to others strength and personal agency.”
So, teaching unconditional self-acceptance (USA), which you
say is a Have a go Spaghettio! Success Helper core belief will effectively inoculate
the young person against the bully contagion.
“Yes. The more the child is
exposed to the idea of USA, throughout their schooling, and at home, they will eventually
get to what Albert Ellis calls, Emotional Insight (EI) where a person automatically
lives by the USA principle and can conserve or keep their unconditional self-acceptance
status. There are many ways that the young bully victim can be supported in this
endeavour, in class, across the school and at home. The goal is to embed the
Red Success Helper way of thinking or believing deep in the child’s mind, a psychological
bulwark against potential harm, disappointment and unfairness.
Perhaps I can expand on this some
time and talk about the practical things a school can do for the potential
victim in a bullying scenario. Thanks for your attention Mr Popoffalot.”

Mr Paxton Popoffalot, Wassup? News
You’re welcome Ms Smithers. This is Paxton Popoffalot for
Wassup? News signing off from Oondooroo Junior Primary School, in outback South
Australia.

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