National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month
RSSBy Phyllis Levy Mandell
October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month. Bullying is the most common form of violence in schools. In a recent study released by the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles, more than 43,000 teens between the ages of 15 and 18 attending public and private schools were surveyed about bullying. Over half of them had been victims of bullying or had bullied other students. Elementary Wise Owl Bully Stopper Kit is a series of three live-action DVDs (Human Relations Media) hosted by Wise Owl, an animated character. Viewers learn how to recognize a bully, coping techniques, and about the importance of helping those who are being bullied. In a series of vignettes, children are shown examples of bullying situations. Middle/High School The ubiquitous problem of bullying among youth and the methods to combat it are explored in a straightforward manner in Pushed to the Brink: Bullycide on the Rise (Human Relations Media). The mothers of two victims who committed suicide discuss the torment their children endured and share possible ways to stop bullying. A clinical psychologist discusses different types of bullying (physical, verbal, cyber, and more), and four teens discuss how it has affected them. A diverse group of young actors dramatize various situations in which someone is being coerced to do something that they find uncomfortable in How to Be Assertive: Sticking Up for Yourself (Mazzarella Media). Segments depict teens being pressured into drinking, using steroids, going to a party where drugs are being used, and having sex. Some of the vignettes are depicted three times with the teen responding passively, angrily, and assertively. This film does a fine job of presenting some very basic points about becoming assertive and would be useful to generate classroom discussion. This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe. You can also check out the short animated movies on bullying and cyberbullying from BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr: http://tinyurl.com/bpbullying Alley Oops is a picture book for children written from the bully's perspective. http://bit.ly/Alley_Oops I'm the author of "Alley Oops," an award winning "anti-bullying" picture book, told from the bully's point of view. Besides providing coping skills, hope and a sense of empowerment to the victimized, it gives readers insight into a bully's mind. The book is used in numerous anti-bullying programs across North America. For reviews and information, contact the author at www.janicelevy.com and the publisher, Flashlight Press. * = Required information
September 15, 2011
Get a jump-start with several recently released films that can be used in elementary, middle, and high school guidance and health classes to highlight the dangers of bullying and to provide suggestions that can help the victims.
In Bullies Never Win (Spoken Arts), based on the book by Margaret Cuyler, Jessica takes Brenda's teasing to heart, quitting kickball, eating alone, and more. When Jessica finally stands up to Brenda, the bully backs off. Other solutions are also presented on how to deal with the problem of bullying.Bully Bystanders: You Can Make a Difference (Human Relations Media) follows Jason whose rule of survival in high school is "mind your own business". On the bus ride to school, in the classroom, in the library, and in the cafeteria, Jason watches as a classmate is verbally harassed, excluded, and is the target of cyberbullying. When he hears that she has attempted suicide—or bullycide—he imagines how this could have been prevented if he had stepped in. The dramatization of the same scenarios, replayed, is effective and constructive as Jason's calm but assertive interjections diffuse the situations and cause the tormenters to back off. The importance of bystanders intervening is highlighted in this realistic, must-see program.
In The Wild Wild Web: A Student's Guide to Preventing Cyber Bullying (Intermedia) "break the chain and stop the pain" is a repeated message about the triangular relationship between bullies, victims, and bystanders. Part of a "Code of Conduct" for the "Wild, Wild Web," this refrain joins two others: "If you wouldn't say it face-to-face, don't say it in cyberspace," and "Tell someone." A nerdy, but charming narrator in his twenties, sings and dances his way through a middle-school classroom and travels via special effects to various destinations. For example, at a picnic area, he acts out an analogy comparing a bully to a match, the victim to charcoal, and the bystanders to the lighter fluid in most bullying incidents. Adolescents are also interviewed about their cyberbullying experiences, and commentary by educators and other experts is provided.
Reader Comments (9)
Posted by shuttlecat on September 15, 2011 01:23:59PM
Posted by Diane on September 15, 2011 08:38:42PM
Posted by Rachel W. on September 19, 2011 03:31:09AM
Posted by Janice Levy on September 19, 2011 10:50:36AM
