Emerging Areas: Bullying

Bullying is without a doubt one of the many problems a child/adolescent could face in his/her lifetime.  This kind of strain on a child could cause many issues that could hinder occupational performance (depression, lack of motivation, problems with playtime, etc.)  It is important for an OT to address this in order to provide clients with a satisfying quality of life.  One way that this could be achieved is by creating after-school programs for children and discussing this problem with them. Susan Bazyk is an OT who has implemented this kind of program and has seen positive results from it.

This emerging area correlated with AOTA's Vision 2025 by embracing the guidepost of making occupational therapy leadership-based through being "influential in changing policies, environments, and complex systems".  By making strides to end bullying, occupational therapists are being leaders and role models to children.  In turn, it helps them become leaders themselves.