Schools around the country are using dogs to teach kids empathy and compassion in order to curb schoolyard bullying. From surfing to sniffing out cancer, we can count on dogs to do it right. A study by USA Today reports something along the same lines. As one of the ways to prevent bullying, schools are using dogs to teach children empathy and tolerance to put a stop to the epidemic.

The idea is to teach kids empathy, fairness, compassion and integrity with the help of trained dogs. Jo Dean Hearn, the brains behind this idea, says dogs are an essential part of this and get the attention of children more quickly than humans. The animals will keep the kids focused while they learn how to empathize with their peers. Kansas City school is working on this program to put a stop to bullying. The program called ‘No More Bullies’ involves volunteers accompanied by trained dogs. These volunteers meet children for one hour during the school day to teach them empathy, integrity, fairness and compassion. Following several teen suicides, the school hopes to put a stop to bullying and teach the victims how to deal with bullies.

The concept behind the program

The developer of this program Jo Deep Hearn suggests that children can identify to animals. They can relate to animals better than humans. That is why when volunteers ask them to consider how the dog next to them feels when it is treated badly, the kids do a better job of understanding. The volunteers them ask the kids to consider how their boy or girl sitting next to them would feel if they are treated badly.

Other programs developed along the same lines

Just last year, Yale University School of the 21st Century and the Pet Savers Foundation of North Shore Animal League America launched a program called Mutt-i-grees to teach children how to be kind and compassionate towards other human beings and animals. The program uses a dog-shaped muppet instead of an actual dog. Mutt-i-grees is used in 900 elementary schools of 28 states. Developers are in the process of expanding this program to junior high and high schools as well.

Healing Species, another program of this sort launched about a decade ago takes the help of rescue dogs to help children who have been abused and bullied to recover.

Are these programs effective?

No More Bullies has become so popular that school authorities are eager to have it on board. There is a long waiting list for next year. Teachers say that their students who have participated in Mutt-i-grees program are showing improvement in their social, emotional and problem-solving skills.

A 2008 survey suggests that there is a 55% decrease in students being suspended among those who took part in the program. Teachers and councilors also noted that there was a 62% decrease in general aggression and retaliation rates. Moreover, 80% of students who had participated were better at walking away calmly from a conflict.