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8. Bullying Scenes
Every bully is a coward in disguise!
Themes Liscrimination, Violcncc
Level of complexity Icvcl 2
Age 7 13 ycars
Duration 60 minutcs
Group size 5 20 childrcn
Type of activity Liscussion with somc movcmcnt.
Overview Childrcn discuss bullying and thcn position thcmsclvcs to show how thcy would rcspond
to dicrcnt bullying sccnarios..
Objectives To deepen understanding of dierent kinds of bullying
To identify strategies, people and organisations that can support children being bullied
To analyse dierent responses to bullying
Preparation Mark thc our corncrs o thc room as numbcrs 14. Childrcn should bc ablc to movc
rccly rom onc corncr to anothcr.
Materials A space that allows the children to sit in circle.
Coloured Paper
Markers
Scissors
Instructions
Introducc thc topic o bullying asking qucstions such as thcsc. 1.
\hat is bullying`

\hat arc thc dicrcnt ways pcoplc bully`

\hy do you think pcoplc bully`

How docs bullying acct pcoplc who arc bullicd` Pcoplc who bully` Tc wholc community`

Ask cach child to tracc thcir hand on a colourcd piccc o papcr and cut it out. Tcy should think o 2.
onc pcrson or cach ngcr whom thcy can turn to or support i thcy arc bcing bullicd (c.g. ricnd,
parcnt, tcachcr, school administrator, policc, counsclour, sibling). Ask childrcn to cxplain thc sup
portcrs thcy havc namcd.
Fxplain that now you will look at dicrcnt ways pcoplc can rcspond to situations involving bullying. 3.
Lcmonstratc how it will work.
Tc acilitator will rcad a dcscription o bullying. For cach situation thrcc possiblc rcsponscs a.
arc givcn. A ourth rcsponsc is always opcn i you think o a dicrcnt rcsponsc.
Fach corncr o thc room is numbcrcd. Atcr you hcar thc situation and thc rcsponscs, go to thc b.
corncr that rcprcscnts what you think you would do in this situation.
Rcad out thc bullying situation and givc thc childrcn timc to choosc thcir rcsponsc and go to thc cor 4.
rcsponding corncr o thc room. Oncc thc childrcn havc takcn a position, ask a cw in cach position
why thcy chosc that rcsponsc and somc o its advantagcs and disadvantagcs. Allow thosc childrcn
who chosc thc opcn corncr to cxplain how thcy would rcspond.
Debrieng and evaluation
Atcr rcsponding to vc or six bullying sccncs, dcbric thc activity by asking qucstion such as thcsc. 1.
How did you ccl about thc activity`

\crc somc o thc sccncs di cult to rcspond to` \hich oncs and why`

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Can you rclatc to any o thc bullying sccncs`

Lo pcoplc who arc bullicd nccd hclp and support` \hy`

\hcrc can pcoplc who arc bullicd nd hclp and support`

\hat arc somc o thc rcasons that pcoplc bully othcrs` Arc thcy air`

\hat should you do i yourc bcing bullicd and thc pcrson you turn to or hclp and support

docsnt do anything about it`

Is somc bullying morc otcn acccptcd by childrcn and adults` \hy or why not`

\ho is rcsponsiblc to hclp and support childrcn whcn thcy arc bullicd`

Can adults cxpcricncc bullying too` Civc somc cxamplcs.

\ho is rcsponsiblc to hclp adults whcn thcy arc bullicd`

\hat can bc donc to hclp pcoplc who bully changc thcir bchavior`

\hat happcns i no onc stops pcoplc who bully` To thc bully` To thc community`

Rclatc thc activity to human rights by asking qucstions such as thcsc. 2.

Locs anyonc havc thc right to bully anyonc clsc` \hy or why not`

\hich human rights can bc violatcd whcn somconc is bcing bullicd`

How docs cnding bullying improvc thc human rights cnvironmcnt or cvcryonc`

At thc cnd o thc dcbricng, ask thc childrcn to look back at thcir hands o support and add any othcr 3.
pcrson or organisation thcy can think o whom thcy could turn to or support whcn bcing bullicd. Lis
play thc hands o support somcwhcrc in thc room so that thc childrcn can rccr to thcm in thc uturc.
Suggestions for follow-up
You may likc to ocus urthcr on violcncc by running thc activity P:cf0v:Nc \t\s O0f or V:o:=Nc=,
v. .. Tc activity \ovus fHtf \o0Nu v. ici also ocuscs on vcrbal bullying and can bc run bcorc
or atcr this activity.
Ideas for action
Liscuss ways in which thc group can crcatc a No Bullying campaign and ask mcmbcrs o thc commu
nity to join in thc initiativc. For cxamplc, you might likc to organizc an cxhibition, invitc a procssional
rom a child support organization to talk to thc childrcn, andor idcntiy an adult in thc school to bc thc
kcy pcrson pcoplc can turn to or hclp.
Crcatc a thcatrc pcrormancc that shows how childrcn can rcspond whcn thcyrc bullicd and pcrorm
it or othcr groups o childrcn.
Find out i thcrc is a local childrcns hotlinchclplinc that childrcn who arc bcing bullicd can call. Find
out which scrviccs childrcn can turn to or support in thc local community. Civc this inormation to
childrcn during thc activity, and i possiblc invitc somconc rom that agcncy to spcak to thc group.
Tips for the facilitator
Introducc a magic stick talking stick or prctcnd microphonc so that pcoplc wanting to spcak must wait
thcir turn.
Somc orm o bullying probably cxists among childrcn in thc group. Bullying accts all childrcn to vary
ing dcgrccs and can takc dicrcnt orms. Bc scnsitivc to thc situations that may alrcady cxist in thc
group and try not to ocus on any pcrsonal situation.
Adaptations
\ritc your own bullying sccncs that thc childrcn in your group can rclatc to instcad o using thosc that
arc providcd.
Lividc childrcn into small groups, givc cach a bullying situation, and ask thcm to rolc play both thc bul
lying and thcir rcsponsc. Liscuss and dcbric cah rolc play, asking othcr groups or altcrnativc rcsponscs.
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Your ricnds start calling you namcs, scnding you nasty tcxt mcssagcs and orcing you to givc thcm things. You dont ccl
good whcn thcsc things happcn. \hat should you do`
Nothing.You must havc donc somcthing wrong to makc your ricnds act likc that. 1.
Start calling thcm namcs in rcturn and thrcatcn thcm.. 2.
Spcak to your parcnts or tcachcr and tcll thcm what is happcning. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
A group o kids in your class arc sprcading hurtul rumours about you by scnding sms mcssagcs around. Many kids now
wont play with you or cvcn spcak to you. Fvcn your ricnds arc starting to think thcy may bc truc. \hat should you do`
Nothing. Noonc will bclicvc you i cvcryonc thinks thc rumours arc truc. 1.
Start sprcading bad rumours about thc othcr kids. 2.
Tcll cvcryonc thc rumours arc unturc. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
Your oldcr sistcr or brothcr kccps hitting and kicking you whcn nobody is looking and tclls you that i you tcll anyonc shc
hc will just hurt you morc. \hat should you do`
Tcll your parcnts or tcachcrs about what is happcning. 1.
Ask your ricnds at school to hclp you in ghting hcr him. 2.
Tcll hcr him that it hurts and to stop doing it. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
Your tcachcr kccps calling you stupid cvcry timc you gct an answcr wrong in class and says that thcrcs no point in cvcn
trying to tcach you bccausc you cant lcarn. Othcr childrcn havc startcd calling you namcs too. \hat should you do`
Co straight to thc hcadmastcr and tcll thcm what is happcning. 1.
Start missing class bccausc you dont likc going to school. 2.
Ask your parcnts i you can changc class or changc school. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
You noticc onc o your ricnds is tcasing and making un o thc youngcr childrcn in thc summcr camp. Your ricnd has
startcd taking things rom thcm as wcll. \hat should you do`
Tcll thc camp lcadcrs what is happcning without lctting your ricnd know. 1.
Hclp your ricnd in taking things rom thc youngcr childrcn in casc hcshc starts to takc things rom you. 2.
Tcll your ricnd that you think that what hcshcs doing is wrong and that thcy should lcavc thc youngcr childrcn 3.
alonc.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
A groups o oldcr kids rom anothcr school likc to pick on youngcr rom your primary school. Tcy wait to catch a child
walking homc or waiting or thc bus alonc, surround him or hcr, and takc moncy, ood, or toys. Tcy also throw rocks and
thrcatcn to do worsc. \hat should you do`
Bc vcry carcul to go to and rom school in groups 1.
Tcll adults in your school what is happcning and ask or hclp. 2.
Carry rocks or a knic to protcct yourscl. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
A ncw boy in your class is rcugcc. Your ricnds always say racist things to him, makc un o his Fnglish and tcll him to go
back homc. \hat should you do`
oin in, hcs not your ricnd so you dont havc to worry about him. 1.
Tcll your tcachcr that your ricnds arc saying racist things to him. 2.
Ocr to givc him Fnglish lcssons whcn yourc not playing i your ricnds to hclp him t in. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr) 4.
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Youvc bccn tcasing onc o your ricnds bccausc hc or shc is rcally bad at rcading and writing and you noticcd that rcccntly
hcshc has startcd to sit alonc. Oncc you noticcd tcars in thc childs cycs. \hat should you do`
Nothing, hc shc was probably just having a bad day and it has nothing to do with you. 1.
Stop tcasing your ricnd and ask him hcr about why hc shc was crying. 2.
Tcll you ricnd that you wont tcasc him hcr in ront o anyonc anymorc but that hc shc rcally is stupid and hc shc 3.
should gct somc cxtra lcssons.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.
You havc an oldcr stcpbrothcr whos vcry ond o you. Hc otcn wants to kiss you, and hug you, but although you likc him,
it makcs you ccl uncomortablc. \hat should you do`
Tcll onc o your parcnts, or anothcr brothcr sistcr. 1.
Fight against it, and hit him whcncvcr hc docs it. 2.
Avoid him, and try to kccp your distancc. 3.
Somcthing clsc (Opcn corncr). 4.