Dealing with Bullies

Carla Stock

Intern Counselor

Valley Middle School

Apple Valley, Minnesota

Description of the Lesson or Program

The Dealing with Bullies lesson is a conducted in the 6^th grade FACS classroom during the second month of school.  The guidance lesson was developed to assist incoming 6^th grade students in dealing with the situations that might arise as they enter the middle school setting.  The lesson is presented in a fifty-five (55) minute classroom environment and is adopted from several different guidance curricula, including Sunburst staff development and Current Health magazine.

A typical lesson follows.

5 minutes:  Introduce yourself and begin talking to the students on frequency and severity of

            incidences within your given environment.  

21 minutes:  Sunburst Video presentation on Bullying: Strategies and Prevention.

10 minutes:  Generate discussion on video and begin brainstorming on ways to avoid being a

            victim and how to respond to bullies.  Sample sheet is to follow:

How to avoid being a victim of bullies:

1. Stay away from known bullies by using a different hall or path.
2. Be with your “allies” as much as possible.  Not alone around bullies.
3. Don’t give dirty look or make negative comments that may invite revenge.

(if you need to say, ”Just Kidding” after a comment, Save It)

4.      Watch your body posture and facial expressions – look confident, even if you have to fake it.  Walk tall, look ahead and look happy.

5.      Apologize if you accidentally bump someone so it doesn’t look like you’re trying to start something.

How to respond to bullies:

1.      Don’t let the bully see you looking mad or sad – they’ll feel a power trip.

2.      Shrug it off and don’t sweat the small stuff.

3.      Ignore it, especially if it is someone you may not see again.

4.      Say, “Don’t worry about it.”

5.      Say, “That’s O.K. You don’t have to like it.”

6.      Say, “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

7.      Say, “Gee, thanks!”

8.      Say, “Whatever.”

9.      Say, “Oh, hi, (name).  Did you want something?”

      Laughingly agree with them. “Yeah, it’s pretty weird, isn’t it?”

      Laugh at yourself before they get to comment.  “Wow!  That was really pathetic!” or “Wait till you see my next trick!” “Now you know why the NFL isn’t scouting me.”

      Say, “I don’t bug you so don’t bug me.”

     TELL AN ADULT!

15 minutes:  Use activity sheet 4 from Sunburst staff development packet to generate scenarios that the students may role play in order to practice these strategies.  It is important for students to practice these strategies and develop a sense of comfort with how they would like to respond in given situations.

3 minutes:  Close lesson by recapping what was learned and remind students that there are people our there who can help them and that there are students in the school who if combine together make a up a greater force than the bully.

Connections to Related Standards, Competencies and Domains:

The lesson on bullying relates to the Personal/Social domain of the Minnesota School

Counselors’ Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling.  The lesson attaches itself to

this domain by reference to the needs of the student and how they relate to peers within the

school setting. This is an important factor, especially for students entering the middle school

arena.

References and Resources:

Sunburst Communications (1993). Bullying: Strategies and Prevention: Don't Pick on Me,        101 Castleton Street Pleasantville, NY   10570         1-800-431-1934