Bullying is becoming an increasing problem with the youth, worldwide.  There is continuing research regarding bullying and the risks and outcomes for all of the people involved (including bullies, victims, and bystanders). The underlying concept in preventing the consequences of bullying is that the community needs to collaborate in order to alter the existing tolerance and misconceptions regarding bullying behavior. 

The bullying teaching session provided for the students in this activity focused on the basics of bullying - including the definition, some statistics, and potential risks and outcomes of bullying behavior.  Additional resources for more information can be found at the bottom of this page.

The empty boxes toward the right side of the handout is an area for the students to fill in with examples of each type of bullying. 

Along with the "Think Before You Speak" message, one of the activities conducted was to have a student volunteer squeeze toothpaste from a tube in a straight line across a sheet of paper.  Once that is complete, the student is given a spoon to attempt to put the toothpaste back into the tube.  When the students realize this is a fruitless task, the message attached to the activity can be discussed: once something is said or done, it cannot be taken back.  This is important when discussing the potential risks and outcomes of bullying for all parties involved.

Lesson plans and specific discussion topics are not limited to what is on the handouts above. Different ages of the participants will require different teaching strategies and depth of the subject matter to be discussed. Please see below for more information regarding bullying facts and research used for this teaching session. 

RESOURCES

stopbullying.gov
cdc.gov - Center for Disease Control
girlshealth.gov
bullyfree.com
preventioninstitute.org
kidshealth.org
violencepreventionworks.org
interventioncentral.org
cops.usdoj.gov - US Department of Justice
dosomething.org
bullyinginfo.org - US Department of Education
www.ncpc.org - National Crime Prevention Council