As part of October's National Bullying Prevention Month, students in all grades do age-appropriate activities to learn about ways to prevent and deal with bullying situations. Here is some of the information that we talk about in our classroom discussions each fall.
We look at the difference between rude vs mean vs bullying behavior based on the article "Is it Rude, Is it Mean, or Is it Bullying?" by Signe Whitson, L.S.W. (To read the article, click on the title.)
It is not “tattling” if you go to an adult for help when someone is doing one of the above behaviors to you.
We brainstorm ideas on how to handle rude, mean, and bullying behaviors if it is happening to them such as:
Tell the person to stop. Be specific so the other person knows exactly what you want them to stop doing. (“Stop calling me names.”)
Talk in a calm, confident, assertive way. If you are feeling angry, calm yourself down before trying to handle the situation.
If the behavior does not stop, tell an adult...and tell every time it happens.
It is important to report the situation to a grown-up as soon as possible...if it happens at recess, tell the recess duty teacher...if it happens on the bus, report to the bus driver…
We discuss the role of someone who witnesses bullying behavior. We talk about the importance of standing up to someone being mean to send the message that this behavior is not okay. We brainstorm ideas about how to “stand up” to help someone else such as…
Tell the person to stop being mean to the other student.
Invite the other person to play or sit with you and cheer them up.
Help them get away from the situation.
If someone is being physically hurt, immediately tell an adult
If you think the problem will get worse if you get involved, immediately go tell an adult about the situation
If you don’t feel comfortable stepping in to help, immediately tell an adult what is happening
There are a few websites for parents that provide helpful tips on handling bullying and cyberbullying.
Pacer Kids Against Bullying In this website, children can learn about what bullying is and ways to handle a bullying situation.
Commonsense Media This website provides a wealth of information on digital media including topics such as digital citizenship, cyberbullying, and information on a variety of digital tools.