"Bullying can affect anyone"

Lisa Vogel studied departmental journalism with a focus on medicine and biosciences at Ansbach University and deepened her journalistic knowledge in the master's degree in multimedia information and communication. This was followed by a traineeship in the editorial team. Since September 2020 she has been writing as a freelance journalist for

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Exclusion is the order of the day in German schools. The long-term effects on the psyche can be devastating. Every third student is afraid of becoming a victim. A new training program should now prevent bullying before it even occurs. In the interview, expert Kaj Buchhofer explains how bullying comes about, how to make children strong against bullying and what schools can do to create an anti-bullying culture.

Kaj Buchhofer

Kaj Buchhofer is a student instructor and counseling teacher and works as a trainer for the violence prevention counseling center of the School and Vocational Training Authority, Hamburg. As an expert on the subject of bullying, he has been involved in conceiving and implementing the project "Be class together" since 2017.

Mr. Buchhofer, you helped to design a new anti-bullying program “Be class together”. Before you worked at the violence prevention advice center in Hamburg, you were a teacher. Did you witness bullying there first hand?

Yes. I was a teacher for nine years and of course I saw bullying cases. I noticed that as a teacher, I wasn't well prepared for it. I didn't have the knowledge to handle such a situation well.

How does bullying arise in a class group?

Bullying arises because it is allowed. There are arguments and conflicts in every class. That is part of the development of a community. But if conflicts are not resolved and drag on over a longer period of time, this can turn into bullying. Usually a child becomes the focus of a group of actors and is systematically marginalized and harassed. Then a dynamic of its own develops.

That then rocks up.

Exactly. The norm structure of the class shifts in the case of bullying. Many children are scared, look the other way and at some point take it as normal. Even if the teachers do not intervene adequately. The affected child is then more and more isolated and powerless.

Who becomes the perpetrator and who the victim in a class structure?

Bullying is arbitrary - it can affect anyone. And it is not your own fault if you are bullied. Searching for causes in the character of the victim makes no sense - it can lead to guilt reversal. There are conspicuous children in the class who can be targeted just as much as inconspicuous children. Clothing, origin, behavior - all of this can serve as an arbitrary reason for bullying and trigger bullying.

And the typical culprit?

Children who have learned these behavioral patterns are more likely to become abusers. They have learned from experience that they can get on with aggressive behavior. And that strengthens their self-confidence. You gain recognition and power by excluding others.

How can parents or teachers recognize that a child is being systematically excluded?

Ideally, if the child confides in - that is, they know that they can talk about their worries in confidence at school and with parents. In other cases, classic indicators are, for example, that a child is more likely to seek contact with adults than with his classmates during breaks. In addition, the child concerned is not chosen for group work and is not allowed to participate in games. Affected children often show symptoms of stress at home and develop avoidance strategies.

How does that concrete look?

They no longer want to go to school, have stomach aches, headaches and change their behavior. In severe cases, there are also depressive moods or signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. The consequences can persist into adulthood.

What are the long-term effects of bullying?

Bullying can lead to serious illnesses, such as depression. Former victims of bullying often have fewer social contacts later on. Self-confidence also suffers from exclusion for a long time. That is why prevention is so important.

This is exactly where the “Be class together” program comes in. It's supposed to prevent bullying before it even occurs. How does this work?

Ideally, you create a culture in which the children take it for granted that they get help. You need to know who to turn to with your worries.

Of course, this assumes that the children do not perceive the bullying situation as normal.

This is exactly where we start. Ideally, the program starts in a newly composed class. The fifth grade is ideal. For up to five project days, the new community defines bullying as something that is not tolerated. On our online platform, teachers can find thematic modules with films and social exercises with which they can organize the project days.

So theory and practice?

Yes, in any case. The children learn what specific options there are. This is to prevent them from simply looking the other way when exclusion and bullying arise.

What could that look like?

There are different possibilities. The children learn how to either courageously intervene or how to talk to the person concerned in a quiet minute. The children learn that the least that anyone can do about bullying is to get help.

Isn't one then considered a sneak?

Getting help is no nonsense! The class learns that too. In the best case scenario, the project is rounded off with a parents' afternoon - the parents should also know the project content and be made aware of the topic.

Does the program exist throughout Germany?

Availability still depends on the state - but the program is spreading more and more. It is supported by the ministries of education and the Techniker Krankenkasse. Interested teachers can contact the relevant authority.

Here you can find more information about the program “Be class together”: https://www.gemeinsam-klasse-sein.de/anti-mobbing

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