blindside bullying! · blindside bullying! elementary school lesson. what to do if you’re...

OBJECTIVES: 1. Definebullying 2. Discusstypesofbullying 3.Whattodoifyou’rebullied 4.Whattodoifyouareabully

INDIANA HEALTH & WELLNESS STANDARDS (Grades3-5).1.2-Giveexamplesofphysicalandemotionalhealth.(Grades3-5).1.3-Identifyhowasafeandhealthyschoolenvironmentpromotespersonalhealth(Grades3-5).4.1-Nameeffectivenonverbalcommunicationskillstoenhancehealthandwellness.(Grades3-5).4.3-Suggestnonviolentstrategiestomanageconflict.(Grades3-5).4.4-Illustratehowtoaskforassistancewithadifficultpersonalsituation.

TEACHER TALKING POINTSDefine bullying: • Bullyingisanintentionalactthatisrepeatedovertimeandinvolvesarealorperceived imbalanceofpower. • Emphasizethattherearethree“pieces”tothisdefinition:Intentionalact,repeatedover time,andrealorperceivedimbalanceofpower. • Bullyingisnotsomethingthathappensonetime.Forexample,ifsomeonetripsmeas Iwalkbytheirlockeronce,thatisanincidentofbadbehavior,notbullying;however,if thatpersontripsmeeverydayasIwalkbytheirlocker,thiswouldbephysicalbullying.

Discuss types of bullying:Therearethreetypesofbullyingthislessonplanwillfocuson. • Physicalbullyingisbullyingthathurtssomeone’sbody.Themainweaponbulliesuseis theirbody.Shoving,hitting,fighting,andpinchingallaretypesofphysicalbullying. • Askstudentstogiveexamplesofphysicalbullying.Remindthemtonotuse classmates’nameswhengivingexamples. • Verbalbullyingisdonebyusingwordstoharmsomeone.Namecalling,spreading rumors,threateningsomebody,andmakingfunofothersareallformsofverbal bullying.Verbalbullyingisoneofthemostcommontypesofbullying. • Askstudentstogiveexamplesofverbalbullying.Remindthemtonotuse classmates’nameswhengivingexamples. • Socialbullyingissomethingthatisdonewiththeintenttohurtsomebody’sreputationor thewayothersthinkaboutthem.Itcanhappenbytryingtoexcludesomebodyandmake themfeelunwantedorbygainingsomebody’strustandthenbreakingit. • Askstudentstogiveexamplesofsocialbullying.Remindthemtonotuse classmates’nameswhengivingexamples.

BLINDSIDE BULLYING!

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON

What to do if you’re bullied:Teachingstudentshowtoreactiftheyarebulliedisanimportantstepinaddressingthisissueinyourschool.Teachyourstudentsthefollowingoptionsforreactingtobeingbullied: • Ignore the bully-Tryyourbesttoignorethebully’sthreatsbypretendingyoudon’thear themandwalkingaway.Bullieswantabigreactionfromyoutotheirteasingand meanness.Byactingasifyoudon’tnoticeordon’tcarebygivingnoreactionatall,you mightstopthebully’sbehavior. • Stand up for yourself. Ifyoufeelcomfortable,tellthebully“No!Stopit!”inafirmvoice. Thenwalkaway,orrunifyouhaveto.Kidsalsocanstandupforeachotherbytellinga bullytostopteasingsomeoneelse,andthenwalkingawaytogether.Manytimesifyou standupforyourself,thebullywillstopbullyingyou. • Don’t bully back.Don’thit,kickorpushbacktodealwithsomeonebullyingyouoryour friends.Fightingbackonlysatisfiesabullyandit’sdangerous,too,becausesomeone couldgethurt.You’realsolikelytogetintrouble. • Tell an adult.Ifyouarebeingbullied,it’sveryimportanttotellanadultsothattheyknow what’sgoingon.Teachers,principals,parentsandlunchroomhelpersatschoolcanall helpstopbullying.Sometimesbulliesstopassoonasateacherfindsoutbecausethey’re afraidthattheywillbepunishedbyparents.Thisisnottattling—bullyingiswrongand shouldbeboughttotheattentionofanadult.

What to do if you are a bullyMoststudentswillnotadmitthattheymaybeabullybutyoucanaskthemtosilentlythinkaboutthemselvesasyouaskthemthesequestions: 1. Doesitmakeyoufeelbettertohurt otherpeopleortaketheirthings? 2. Areyoubiggerorstrongerthan otherpeopleyourage?Ifyouare, doyouuseyoursizeorstrengthto getyourway? 3.Haveyoubeenbulliedbysomeoneinthe pastandfeellikeyouhaveto“makeupforit” bybeingmeantoothers? 4.Doyouthinkyouhavebulliedotherpeople?

Ifastudentansweredyestooneormoreofthesequestions,therearewaystokickthe “bullyhabit.”Thefollowingaresomesuggestions: 1. Apologizetopeopleyouhavebulliedandfollowupbybeingfriendlytothem.Atfirst, theymaynottrustyoubutkeeptrying. 2. Explorewaystofeelbetteraboutyourself.Thismaymeangettinginvolvedwithasport, learninganewhobbyorvolunteeringinthecommunity. 3. Ifyoufeellikeyouhavetroublecontrollingyouremotionssuchasanger,talkwithyour parentsorsomeoneatschool.Theyprobablyhaveresourcestohelpyou.

STUDENT ACTIVITY – The Gingerbread Man

Materials: • Cutoutchild-sizedgingerbreadmanshapes(enoughforoneperstudent) • Coloringmaterials

Directions: • Provideeachstudentwithagingerbreadmanto“frost.” • Tellthemtomakeitasbeautiful,specialanduniqueasthey’dlike. • Aftereveryonehasfinished,selectafewstudentstosharewhytheirgingerbreadmanis sospecial. • Askstudentsifeveryoneintheroomisspecialanddeservestobetreatednicely andfairly. • Beginthediscussionaboutbullyingandguidethediscussionbyaskingquestionssuchas: • Whydopeoplebully? • Howdoyouthinksomeonewhoisbeingbulliedfeels? • Howdoyouthinkbullyingaffectsthewaysomeonefeelsaboutthemselves? • Asyouarediscussingthesequestions,walk aroundthegroupandrandomlycrumplesome gingerbreadmenintoballs.(Studentswilllikely objectbutcontinuewiththediscussion.Youmay wanttoselectstudentsthatyouknowwillnot betoodistraughtbyhavingtheirgingerbread mancrumbled.) • Afteryouhavecrumpledsomeofthegingerbread menhavethosestudentsattempttosmoothout thepaper. • Askstudentshowtheirgingerbreadmenmightbe likehowastudentwhohasbeenbulliedmightfeel. Thescarsofbullyingcanlastforever(scarscanbe bothinsideandoutside). • Guidethediscussiontohowyoucan“smoothout someofthewrinkles”(i.e.apologizing,including thepersoninagroup,standinguptothebullying)

FAMILY INFORMATIONThestatisticsareamazing-Didyouknowthat25%ofpublicschoolsreportthatbullyingamongkidsoccursonadailyorweeklybasis?Andthat1in5highschoolstudentsreportbeingbulliedinthepastyear?Thegoodnewsisthatbecausebullyinghasmadenationalheadlines,schools,familiesandcommunitiesaretakingastronganti-bullyingstance.

Ifyourchildcomestoyouandtellsyouaboutbeingbullied,congratulatethemforcomingtoyou.Thenlistencalmlyandoffercomfortandsupport.Manytimes,childrenarehesitanttotelladultsthatthey’rebeingbulliedbecausetheyfeelembarrassedandashamedthatit’shappening,ortheyworrythattheirparentswillbedisappointed,upset,orreactive.Sometimeschildrenblamethemselvesandfeellikethebullyingistheirfaultandthatiftheylookedoracteddifferentlyitwouldn’tbehappening.Theymayalsobescaredthatifthebullyfindsoutthattheytold,itwillgetworse.Otherchildrenareworriedthattheirparentswon’tbelievethemordoanythingaboutit.

So,praiseyourchildfordoingtherightthingbytalkingtoyouaboutit.Emphasizethatit’sthebullywhoisbehavingbadlyandreassureyourchildthatyouwillfigureoutwhattodoaboutittogether.

Itisimportanttokeepinmindthatthereisnocutanddriedapproachtoaddressingbullyingandwhatisadvisableinonesituationmaynotbeappropriateinanother.

Herearefivesmartstrategiestokeepkidsfrombecomingtargetsandtostopbullyingthathasalreadystarted: 1. Talk about it. Talkaboutbullyingwithyourchildren.Ifoneofyourkidsopensupaboutbeingbullied, praisehimorherforbeingbraveenoughtodiscussitandofferunconditionalsupport. Talkwiththeschoolabouttheirpoliciesandhowstaffcanaddressthesituation. 2. Use the Buddy System. Twoormorefriendstogetherarelesslikelytobepickedonthanachildwhoisallalone. Remindyourchildtousethebuddysystemwhenontheschoolbus,inthebathroom, orwhereverbulliesmaylurk. 3. Channel your inner peace. Ifabullystrikes,achild’sbestdefensemaybetoignoretheremarksandsimplywalk away.Bulliesthriveonhurtingotherssoachildwhodoesn’t reacthasabetterchanceofstayingoffabully’sradar. 4.Don’ttrytofightthebattleyourself. Sometimestalkingtoabully’sparentscanbeconstructive,butit’sgenerallybesttodo soinasettingwhereaschoolofficial,suchasacounselor,canmediate.

LESSON PLAN EVALUATION

1. Thedefinitionofbullyingisthatitis“anintentionalactthatisrepeatedovertimeand involvesarealorperceivedimbalanceofpower.”___True___False

2.Callingpeoplenamesorteasingthemisanexampleofphysicalbullying.___True___False

3.Ifyouarebeingbullied,itisoktophysicallyfightback.___True___False

4.Teachers,Principalsorparentsarepeopleyoucantrusttotellifyou’rebeingbullied. ___True___False

5.Kidswhoarebulliedusuallydeserveit.___True___False