Stop Bullying Now!

by Education World

Reacting to reports of harassment of Muslim and Arab American students following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S Secretary of Education called on educators to prevent such harassment by encouraging students to discuss diversity constructively and express ideological differences respectfully.

Teachers can begin to respond to that appeal by initiating activities and projects that teach empathy, anger management, and effective conflict-resolutions skills. The activities below, primarily designed for students in grades 2 through 8, will help in the effort to create a safer learning environment for everyone.

Six Bullying Lessons

1. Kids Bullying Kids
   Students anonymously complete a survey about their experiences with bullying, evaluate the results, and discuss solutions to the problem.
    
2. The Average Kid
   Students determine the traits they have in common with other students in the class and create a visual profile of the "average" boy and girl in the class.
    
3. Understanding Needs and Feelings
   Students learn about needs and feelings, then write an ending to a story showing how a child deals with his or her needs and feelings.
    
4. The Talking Stick
   Students use a "talking stick" to practice listening and communicating.
    
5. Bullying Reality Quiz
   Students take an online quiz about school violence and create their own quiz on bullying.
    
6. Simon Says "Who Are You?"
   Grades PreK-5 play a variation of Simon Says to highlight people's similarities and differences.

Related Articles from Education World

• Bully-Proof Your School
• Stop Bullying Before It Starts! 
• Stop Bullying Now! 

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