Lesson 2 – What is Cyber Bullying
Today you will be exploring the topic of cyber bullying. If any student encounters cyber bullying they should do something to bring the cyber bullying to an end. This can involve intervening themselves, in a safe, responsible way or asking someone they trust for help.
Part 1 – Video Vicky’s Party
Part 2 – Stand in a circle. I will now play the video for a second time but I will pause the video at the following three key moments:
1. When Vicky tells friends about her party
2. When the girls send text messages to each other in class but leave Vicky out
3. When Vicky falls in the toilet at the end.
Each time I pause the video I will ask to make a face to show how they think Vicky feels at this point. I will ask a number of youto describe how they think Vicky is feeling. It is hoped that this activity will help you to build empathy with the character of Vicky and to recognise that bullying by exclusion is hurtful and wrong.
Activity 2.2 – Siobhan’s Conscience Alley
It’s clear that Siobhan felt bad about what she and her friends did but she didn’t do anything to stop the bullying. You will now stand in two parallel lines to form a Conscience Alley. Any volunteers to play the role of Siobhan?
- Have all of the students reflect, quietly and individually, on what Siobhan could have done to stop the bullying
- Then have the student playing Siobhan walk down the Conscience Alley. As she does so each of the students should whisper advice on what she could do to help stop the bullying.
- After walking down the Conscience Alley the student playing the role of Siobhan should say what advice she had been given on stopping the bullying. This point might then lead to a short discussion on the topic of how bystanders can help in bullying situations.
Explain to the students that equally positive words can have an uplifting effect.
STEP 2 – To emphasise this point, have each student write his/her name in the middle of a blank A4 page that is left at his/her desk. Then have the students move around the room and leave positive, anonymous messages for each other. The messages should highlight some of the students’ best qualities.
STEP 3 – When the students have had the chance to write on each other’s sheets, have the students look at their own sheets and then ask the following question:
Q. How does reading these comments make you feel?
STEP 4 – Emphasise that everybody has the power to be a positive bystander and make people who experience hard times feel good. You can be a positive bystander online or offline. All that matters is how you choose your words and how you choose to act.
