The second lesson will teach students how to deal with a bully. The strategies listed in this lesson are designed to battle bullying in a positive way that benefits both the victim and the bully.

Introduction:

Family Feud Game:

On an overhead projector, put up the question:
WHY DO PEOPLE BULLY?

Teacher Script:

Today we are going to look at why people bully. In front of me I have the top 5 reasons people bully. Let’s see if you can guess them. After we have guessed all five, let’s see if we can figure out why these things would make someone want to bully other people.

The Top 5 Reasons People Bully

1. Someone else is picking on them
2. They are looking for attention
3. They feel bad about themselves and want other people to feel bad too
4. They have no friends and feel lonely
5. They want the people around then to think they are strong and tough

Put up the following list on the overhead projector and discuss why each one is a good idea and how it would put a stop to bullying.

Teacher Script:

Now that we know what a bullying looks like and some of the reasons that might make a person bully others, let’s take a look at what you can do if you find that someone is trying to bully you. Bullying can be very scary and it’s hard to know what is the right thing to do. Sometimes we think that if we tell a parent or a teacher about bullying, that this means we are tattling. It is never tattling if you are being hurt or scared.

Ways to Stop Bullying

• DON’T REACT
  Teacher’s Script:
  Bullies usually pick on people to see what the person will do. They like to see people cry or get angry. When the bully thinks they have hurt your feelings– they see it as winning. It can be very hard to do, but when you are faced with a bully, you need to ignore them and walk away.
• DON’T BULLY BACK
  Teacher’s Script:
  Some people might say that if you fight back, the bully will leave you alone. What will actually happen is that one or both of you will get hurt. Walk away when you see a bully coming.
• KNOW WHERE THE BULLY WORKS
  Teacher’s Script:
  Think about all the places that you have seen a bully. Try to stay away from these places if you are alone until you tell an adult about the problem.
• TELL SOMEONE
  Teacher’s Script:
  This is not tattling. Tell a teacher, a parent, a friend, a bus driver, any grown up that can help you with your problem. Most adult have had their share of bullies and can give you really great advice on how to beats deal with the situation.
• BE CAREFUL OF THE INTERNET
  Teacher’s Script:
  If the bullying is happening online, there are several things you can do. Change your email address and only give it to people you trust. When you are emailing with friends, ask yourself if this is information you would want the whole world to know. Never put personal information about yourself on the internet – you never know who might be reading it.

Discuss what the class thinks are good ways to deal with bullies. Come up with a class plan on chart paper. This plan can hang on your classroom wall as a reminder that bullying will not be tolerated in your classroom.

To finish up the lesson, have your students break into groups of 2. Give each group, one of the four scenarios from the first day. Based on what you’ve talked about, have the students role play how they would deal with the bullying issue. One student would play the bully and one the victim. They would write and perform a short play about how to proactively resolve the issue.

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