Wednesday - Bullying Impacts Everyone
Morning Announcement
Today’s topic is “Bullying Impacts Everyone.” National Bullying Prevention Month, held in October each year, was created to raise awareness and provide options to respond to bullying. Bullying isn’t something that can be resolved in a month, however. Students and adults need to work on it throughout the school year to be effective.
For many years bullying was thought to be a normal part of childhood and that targets just needed to toughen up and deal with it. We now know that bullying has long-term negative effects. Students who are bullied often have a loss of self-esteem, endure physical symptoms such as stomachaches and headaches, begin to miss school, suffer slipping grades, and become depressed. Students who bully are more likely to have a criminal record as an adult. Witnesses report feeling less safe at school and they fear that the bullying might happen to them.
Bullying affects everyone. Together, through a united effort, everyone can affect how bullying is addressed in school.
Classroom Education and Activities
Whether you’re the target, the bystander or even the student who picks on others, there’s something you can do to put an end to bullying.
- Are you being bullied: PACERTeensAgainstBullying > AdvocacyForSelf
- Do you bully?: PACERTeensAgainstBullying > AdvocacyForSelf
- Advocacy for others: PACERTeensAgainstBullying > AdvocacyForOthers
Know your rights, learn about your state’s legislation about bullying.
Discussion Questions:
(To make sure all students participate, you may want to break the class into groups of 5 to 8 students. Appoint one student in each group to take notes and report results to the class. Consider using that feedback for future bullying prevention projects.)
- What are some of the long-term consequences of students being bullied?
- What might be the long-term consequences for students who bully?
- How is a school environment in which bullying is not tolerated different from one in which bullying is not addressed — or maybe is even accepted?
- What are some ideas to continue bullying prevention efforts in your school?
- How can older students educate and help younger students?
- What rules or guidelines could your school establish around bullying?
Video and Discussion
Watch “Bullies and Bystanders” Video. Visit PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org > AdvocacyForOthers (scroll to bottom of page)
Discussion questions:
- What are some positive ways bystanders can help end bullying?
- What are some negative ways bystanders can contribute to bullying?
- What could you do as a bystander when you see physical bullying?
- What could you do as a bystander when you see verbal bullying?
- What could you do as a bystander when you see cyberbullying?
Handouts
Share or print:
- “What Youth Can Do If They Are Experiencing Bullying”
- “What Youth Can Do to Help Peers Experiencing Bullying”
- “Being There”
