Humour and making jokes have many positive aspects. Laughing and having fun together creates connection and involvement. This is especially important at the beginning of the school year. In addition to creating connection, jokes also play a role in establishing the norms within a group. By laughing—or not laughing—at a joke, you determine together what is acceptable. At the same time, this is precisely where things can go wrong. Is the joke fun for everyone, or does it exclude a particular student or group and risk becoming the norm?
Microaggression
Making jokes often starts small. It involves comments that we do not immediately call bullying, but that do create a feeling of insecurity or discomfort. This is called microaggression. “At the time, microaggressions may seem small or insignificant, but they pile up and can make people feel that they do not belong. It is as if someone repeatedly pokes you hard in the same spot on your arm. One poke may not hurt that much. But over time, that spot becomes bruised, and each poke hurts more than the previous one.” In this way, jokes can turn into bullying.
In all the preparatory discussions on this theme, Stichting School & Veiligheid noticed how complicated and complex jokes actually are. Because in addition to being subjective, they touch on all kinds of social issues, such as bullying, freedom of expression, discrimination and polarisation. The article ‘What lies behind “just a joke” ’ describes very well how humour can expose social sensitivities in society and how, in a diverse society, you can quickly find yourself on the wrong side when your joke concerns minorities.
Marijke van der Zalm, bullying adviser and project leader for Week Against Bullying, puts it as follows: “It is very important to teach children and young people what the positive, but also the negative, impact of jokes can be. It is about how we treat one another and what we do and do not consider acceptable.”
‘Just kidding! Surely that’s allowed?!’ gets the conversation started about fun, safety, boundaries, resilience, but also about different opinions and views: Is something funny or does it cross a boundary? And who actually decides that? There is not always a simple answer, but allowing children to practise in a safe setting gives them important skills for their future.
What does this require of the teacher?
School is an important place for children to practise. It is where they meet their peers and become acquainted with differences in values, norms and ways of interacting. As a teacher, you create a safe environment for practice where mistakes are allowed, among other things by being clear about which behaviour is and is not accepted. You teach your students that there are limits to jokes and to freedom of expression. This inevitably creates tension. After all, what is funny to one person is not funny to another. In other words, what is safe for one person is unsafe for another.
In a socially safe school, these conversations can take place and students acquire knowledge and skills that will serve them later in life. Through your own attitude and actions, you set an example for your students. You are their role model. Do not allow yourself to be tempted to laugh along with silly jokes, and try to remain aware of your own comments and humour. Therefore, regularly ask yourself what effect your attitude and actions have on your students. Are you aware of the effect your jokes have on your students? Are your jokes and comments always fun for everyone, or do they sometimes fall into the category of ‘microaggression’? It is important to be mindful of how your students experience—or might experience—your behaviour, for example by regularly asking your students and colleagues for their views.
Join in!
Week Against Bullying is organised every year in September by Stichting School & Veiligheid. During this week, we support you as a teacher with inspiration, information and teaching materials to get started with your class. Preventing bullying is something you do actively throughout the year. By taking part in Week Against Bullying at the beginning of the school year, you set a positive tone for the school year ahead.
Taking part in Week Against Bullying is easy. On the page Join in! you will find all the information.