Coping with bullying
Today we are going to talk about how bullying can make someone feel and also about what we can do to stop bullying
happening to ourselves and to others.
In lesson 1 we talked about what it is like to feel unsafe.
First Line Improvisations:
You will develop a roleplay which begins with a sentence on an Improvisation card.
- In your pods select a card. Then develop a role play about bullying which must begin with the sentence on the improvisation card.
- Select a member of the group to take on the role of the bullying character, the person who is bullied and the bystanders.
- You have 10 minutes to work on your improvisations. Take this time to discuss, plan and rehearse your
performance and create a believable ending. Remember the Four Magic Words of Improvisation:
• Where? … the place
• When? … The time
• Who? … the roles/characters
• What? … What’s happening, the action.
Discussion Points:
- How did it feel to be the person engaging in bullying behaviour?
- How did the bystanders feel about what was going on?
- How did the person being bullied feel?
What can someone who is being bullied do to stop it from happening?
- Standing tall and looking confident
- Using a strong and firm voice to say something like, “Stop it” or “Go away” or “I’m going to report you to the teacher.”
- Staying calm even though you feel upset and very angry.
In pairs, practice the above strategies, taking it in turns to be the person engaging in the bullying behaviour and the person being bullied.
REMEMBER! Young people need adult help to sort out bullying. If you don’t
get help by telling a parent or teacher, it will just get worse.
What could you do if you knew someone was being bullied?
Discuss the role of bystanders in bullying. Remind pupils of how they felt as bystanders in the role play.
How can the bystander help? They can help by:
- Standing up for someone else. Telling the person who is bullying to stop being so nasty or mean and that if they don’t stop it, you are going to tell an adult.
- Being a friend to the person.
- Telling an adult who can help
Conclusion
Remind the pupils that bullying hurts and always makes people feel bad. If you are being bullied or if you know someone who is being bullied, you should tell an adult and keep telling until you get help.
