THEME: Relationships and CommunityBuilding

Lesson: Bullying: Facts or Fiction

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will identify whether statements are fact or fiction (true or false)

Essential Question

  • Is what you believe about bullying fact or fiction?

Level

  • Grade 9

Time

  • 2 x 15 minutes

Materials

  • Write the essential questions on the board
  • Handouts: True or False
  • Transparency: Bullying Facts

Procedure

1. Read the essential question:

Is what you believe about bullying fact or fiction?

2. Pass out the Fact or Fiction sheet. Ask student to complete the handout.

3. Discuss the information on the two transparencies, Bullying Facts and What is Bullying

4. Correct the responses together as a class.

Evaluation

  • Choose an appropriate Rubric from Assessment and Evaluation.

Taken from Professor Dan Olweus, Bullying at School;

What we know and what we can do, 1993, p.48.

Bullying Facts

  1. Both boys and girls bully, but their tactics are usually different. Boys usually bully withphysical aggression, girls with social alienation or humiliation.
  1. Bullies are not anxious, insecure children, but have positive (often unrealistic) self images that reflect a strong need to dominate with power and threat.
  1. Bullies are not loners but almost always have a small network of peers who encourage,admire, and model their bullying behavior.
  1. Bullies tend to be at least average or only slightly below average academically.
  1. Bullies come in all sizes; and bullies can even intimidate victims who are physically larger – there is an imbalance of power.
  1. Bullies lack compassion for their victims, and feel justified in their actions.
  1. Bullies value the rewards they achieve from aggression, such as attention, control over someone, or material possessions. They often rationalize them by saying the victimsprovoked them in some way.
  1. Looking different is one reason children are victimized, but not the main reason. Isolation and personality type are more often determining factors.
  1. Most bullying is verbal, not physical, like mocking, name-calling, and spreading hurtful rumors.
  1. Victims of bullies are often avoided and rarely defended by their classmates because they don’t want to chance becoming the bully’s next victim.
  1. It is important to tell someone. People should look out for other people and support students who are being bullied. Notify a responsible adult when you know of a child whois being bullied, either physically or verbally.

Why be concerned About Bullying?

“ Bully/victim problems…concern some of our fundamental democratic principles: Every individual should have the right to be spared oppression and repeated, intentional humiliation, in school and in society at large.”

True or False?

______Bullies are boys

______Bullies are insecure and have low self esteem

______Bullies don’t have friends.

______Bullies are usually failing in school.

______Bullies are physically larger than their victims.

______Bullies don’t really mean to hurt their victims.

______Bullies usually feel badly about their actions,but they just can’t help themselves.

______Looking different is the main reason children get bullied.

______Bullies usually always use physical violence.

______Other children go along with bullies because they like what the bully is doing.

______Telling on a bully will only make the situation worse for the victim