Erik Erikson is a prominent psychologist who emerged from studying under and expanding the teachings of Freud to extend post childhood and include the adulthood stages of life. Erikson’s theory is different because he studied how all the stages of life are connected. Teachings and behaviors learned in childhood, follow an individual into adulthood. This paper will discuss how Erikson’s theory can help to explain the behavior of a third grader who is bullying and provide some approaches to resolve the behavior of bullying.
Erikson’s Theory
Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is an expansion from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Freud’s theory focused on the early childhood years of birth to adolescents (Thomas, 2005). Erikson, in his …show more content…
Erikson’s theory of development is useful for addressing bullying behavior because it views life in stages and each stage provides a chance to master or not master a skill. Erikson possibly would view bullying as a delay in developmental growth in a child’s initial stages of development. Educators and parents should be understanding and available to address and resolve the issue of bullying.
Alex, along with his two older brothers, have gone through or currently experiencing Erikson’s first four stages of development Trust versus Mistrust, Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt, Initiative versus Guilt, and Industry versus Inferiority (Thomas, 2005). Each stage involves new cognitive and emotional experiences and a child will either have a positive or negative outcome at each stage (Erikson,1963). If the outcome is negative at any of these stages, the behavior of bullying may develop. Bullying for Alex or any child, may be the one area they find achievement in as other areas especially in academics may be weak or have …show more content…
Providing more encouraging attention by giving tasks so that a feeling of accomplishment and ownership may be achieved. One way this may be achieved is through encouraging the child’s positive efforts. This can help develop a growth mindset and the feeling of accomplishing something on their own. Extinguishing the bullying behavior at this stage is important because failure in this area may lead to a child not being able to have positive relationships with peers, a sense of false power, and delay in development at this and future stages. One of the best ways to achieve this is a healthy example and role model of parents and/or caretakers, including the community. It is not clear in the topic how Alex’s two elder brothers are with
Erikson’s Theory
Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is an expansion from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Freud’s theory focused on the early childhood years of birth to adolescents (Thomas, 2005). Erikson, in his …show more content…
Erikson’s theory of development is useful for addressing bullying behavior because it views life in stages and each stage provides a chance to master or not master a skill. Erikson possibly would view bullying as a delay in developmental growth in a child’s initial stages of development. Educators and parents should be understanding and available to address and resolve the issue of bullying.
Alex, along with his two older brothers, have gone through or currently experiencing Erikson’s first four stages of development Trust versus Mistrust, Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt, Initiative versus Guilt, and Industry versus Inferiority (Thomas, 2005). Each stage involves new cognitive and emotional experiences and a child will either have a positive or negative outcome at each stage (Erikson,1963). If the outcome is negative at any of these stages, the behavior of bullying may develop. Bullying for Alex or any child, may be the one area they find achievement in as other areas especially in academics may be weak or have …show more content…
Providing more encouraging attention by giving tasks so that a feeling of accomplishment and ownership may be achieved. One way this may be achieved is through encouraging the child’s positive efforts. This can help develop a growth mindset and the feeling of accomplishing something on their own. Extinguishing the bullying behavior at this stage is important because failure in this area may lead to a child not being able to have positive relationships with peers, a sense of false power, and delay in development at this and future stages. One of the best ways to achieve this is a healthy example and role model of parents and/or caretakers, including the community. It is not clear in the topic how Alex’s two elder brothers are with