Bullying Activities for the Classroom

After this lesson students will have learned about support systems the children can talk to, how to make people feel good and how to make people feel bad about themselves.

1. Tell the children that you will be working on the bullying activities this week. Take any questions or concerns about the lesson. See if the children know what a bully actually is. This will include not only physical abuse, but also mental, emotional, and verbal abuse.

2. Set up a question box. Many children are afraid to ask questions in front of the class, especially when it deals with such a personal topic. Tell students they can fill out index cards with questions at anytime and the teacher will check this box everyday before the lesson. Questions will be answered before the lesson begins. Remind students that all questions will be anonymous.

3. Show the movie “Bridge to Terabithia” which is a Disney movie revolved around a boy who is bullied in his school and feels like an outsider in his home as well as school. . Ask the children who was being bullied and who was the bully.

4. When discussing different points in the movie ask the students what would have been a better way for the boy being bullied to approach the situation? For instance instead of bottling up his emotions he could have tried to speak to a counselor or his parents about the bullying situation.

5. Give each child an index card numbered 1 to 10. Tell the students you will be reading a scenario for each number. For each number write down how you may feel if this happened to you. Again this will totally be anonymous.

1) You and a friend get in a fight, he or she pushed you.

2) You see two bigger boys picking on a smaller boy in the hallway.

3) You get the student of the month award.

4) A friend is coming over your house today to play video games.

5) You join in when other girls are teasing the new girl’s hair.

6) You drop your books in the hallway and no one helps you pick them up, everyone steps over them.

7) The class makes fun of you for getting the lowest grade in the class.

8) You see friends making fun of a boy who got the lowest grade in the class.

9) A boy from your class trips you on the lunch line, causing you to drop your milk.

10) You get all A’s on your report card.

After you collect the index cards go over the different feelings student’s felt by tallying it up on a chalkboard/dry erase board. Write down 1 to 10 and write down every feeling that was stated for each number. Go over these feelings with the class and let them know that it is okay to feel this way but it is also okay to tell someone how you are feeling.

6. Ask children who they can talk to when they are in trouble. Some people can include teachers, parents, counselors, grandparents, etc. Let the children know that it is better to have a support system than to no have a support system. Explain what a support system does:

• They are there when you need them
• They do not make fun of what you are feelings or your emotions
• They help you when you are feeling down

Many children are bullied or are being bullied everyday, this lesson will help children open up and understand that everyone goes through similar situations at times, they are not alone.