The most apparent is the growing number of teenagers and adolescents who need prescription medication (psychotropic drugs) to get through the day.
Teachers would be wise to read this study and consider how important it is for children to experience situations were things are less than ideal. Carefully moderated pretend "bad guy" play is just one way to prepare a child for the hardships that life has to offer.
In addition, the authors note that "previous work about bad guy play (e.g., Pellegrini, 1998) indicates that a small percentage of children in classrooms may escalate from pretend aggression into real aggression, but that most will not." So with very little risk, there's no reason not to let kids be kids.
Professional Position/Response to Content
The study makes many cogent points and raises many interesting questions.
The conclusion it makes are as follows, (1) children's pretend play can become complex when teachers support but do not direct it, (2) teachers' discomfort with certain play themes might inhibit play that could be valuable to children, (3) children's pretending to act aggressively is not the same as acting aggressively, and (4) play has a rhythm and structure that can be better understood through documentation and reflection.
In my profession opinion, a more laissez-faire type approach better suits...
And also, if there is any residual effect from instances of real aggression
In the end though, we are social creatures and the increased influence that many teachers now have, especially during our younger years, disrupts or curbs our social development. One may go so far as to say it impairs or retards, to varying degrees, our development. The plain truth is that children need to experience (within reason) the highs and lows of social behavior with minimal interference, it's how boys become men and how girls become women.
Works Cited
Detour, A., Logue, M.E. (2011). You Be the Bad Guy: A New Role for Teachers in Supporting Children's Dramatic Play. Early Childhood Research & Practice,
Spring, 13(1). Retrieved from: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v13n1/index.html
Pellegrini, A.D., & Smith, P.K. (1998). Physical active play: The nature and function of a neglected aspect of play. Child Development, 69(3), 577-598.
Holland, Penny. (2003). We don't play with guns here: War, weapon and superhero play in the early years. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
