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We either grow up loving it or despising it, but some experts suggest dodgeball should not have a place in the educational system.

Presenting their findings at the the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Vancouver earlier this week, researchers said dodgeball was a form of bullying. They argued the game creates a culture that allows some students to target others.

Speaking with Global News, study co-author Claire Robson of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, said while the debate of keeping dodgeball out of schools has been happening for years, it’s more important now than ever to talk about it.

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“[We] believe dodgeball is part of our culture,” she said. “It’s OK to try to target weaker students or different students.”

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In the unpublished research co-authored by Joy Butler at the University of British Columbia and David Burns at Kwantlen Polytechnic University also in B.C., researchers found in some cases, marginalized students were being picked last or were targets during the game.

In some focus groups, the team found white students were putting girls and Chinese students into one team so they could essentially win, creating an Alpha team.

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When Butler talked to students chosen last, some of the issues that were raised involved being bullied.

“Dodgeball is the only sport where the human body is used as a target,” Robson continued. “So it’s important to know that we are not anti-competition.” Tweet This

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And with the recent media coverage around this topic, many people are falling either extremely pro-dodgeball or completely against it, she said. Some teachers encourage the game in schools because it’s “fun,” while others call out how stressful it can be for some children.

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