BULLYING: Lesson Plans For Teachers

Lesson Plans for Teachers

CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Effects of Bullying 3. Why People Bully 4. Types of Bullying 5. Notes

*DISCLAIMER*

This booklet is based on the views and experiences of a young person and should not substitute for formal or professional advice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

stopbullying.gov NSPCC.gov ditchthelabel.org

INTRODUCTION Long after bullying stops, the effects carry on… For me, they have never really gone away…

I was bullied for a good few years in secondary school and it was a very bad time in my life. Some days I was that scared to go to school I would just cry all the way there.

Eventually the bullying ended, but by then my confidence levels had dropped so far I was quite scared to just simply go out and meet my friends. What happened to me happens to many people and that’s why I decided to work with Fixers, the campaign that gives young people a voice, to use my experiences to help others.

My name is Sophie and I am 17 years old. I have created this anti-bullying workshop plan to make people aware of the effects of bullying - not just for the victims but also for the bullies themselves. I feel like the most valuable lessons can come from someone who has direct experience of bullying. I’d like to talk to some classrooms in person but I can’t do that everywhere and so I’ve created this booklet to use in lessons.

We hope you enjoy going through the activities in this pack and learn something whilst you do.

1

Effects of Bullying BRIEF This exercise will explore the different effects that bullying has on a person, both physical and mental.

I found that whilst bleeding and bruising are relatively easy to identify, it is the underlying emotional problems that are harder to diagnose and deal with. Hiding these, as some people do, can increase the severity of the problems, and like physical wounds, they can become worse or ‘infected’ over time.

Examples of these emotional signs are: • Isolation

• Shyness

• Self-harm

• Suicide

•

Low self-esteem

• Depression

• Anxiety

ACTIVITY In groups, ask students to write down examples of bullying behaviour, including physical, verbal & emotional bullying. Try to encourage less obvious examples of bullying, e.g. online chat groups targeting someone, or exclusion from physical groups.

Next ask participants to write down how those actions of a bully would affect the victim, how they would feel, and show their feelings.

Personal experiences can be discussed but they are not essential.

2

Why People Bully BRIEF This activity aims to encourage students to think about why people bully. Students will get a firsthand account without having to disclose anything themselves. We felt that if people understood what the effects of bullying are, they might be less inclined to become bullies themselves.

ACTIVITY Play video on YouTube called: ‘To Whom It May Concern’ fixers.org.uk/aimee Then ask the class for feedback based on the following questions: 1. Why did people treat Aimee differently in the video?

2. How did Aimee feel about the way people spoke to her/behaved?

3. Were you surprised by people’s reactions towards Aimee?

There are plenty of other resources on bullying available on the Fixers website. See fixers.org.uk/footer-menu/resources.php for more information.

3

Types of Bullying BRIEF Some types of bullying are easier to spot than others, for example verbal and physical bullying, whereas other types, such as cyber-bullying and emotional bullying, can be hidden quite easily by the victim and the bully.

In my experience, I found there are several types of bullying that people can experience: • Verbal • Physical • Emotional • Cyber • Psychological Discussion point: Could the reason a person becomes a bully influence the type of bullying behaviour they use?

ACTIVITY Ask students to define each type of bullying and mind-map them. They could share amongst the group if they have witnessed any of the types of bullying or have personal experiences of any (if they feel comfortable to talk about it).

Ask if they know what action needs to be taken to prevent these types of bullying and if they know who needs to be contacted if they witness or experience each type of bullying?

4

NOTES

5

FixersUK

.org.uk

Company 2194957 Charity 298643 © 2016

This booklet has been produced with the help of Fixers, the campaign that helps young people ‘Use their past to fix the future.’ Fixers is part-funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery fund