Reporting Bullying for Grades 4th to 6th

Introduction/Warm-Up (approximately 10 minutes):

Read the passage to the students below and discuss what they would do.

Passage: Diana just moved to a new town. She is attending a new school and does not like it. Everyday Rachel and Nicole tease Diana. See Diana wears very big glasses, has big curly hair and is very tall for her age. They call her names on the playground and at lunch. Diana used to pretend she didn’t hear them making fun of her. Lately, the girls have been teasing her more and more. At lunch the other day they got a bunch of other children to yell mean things at her. Diana walked off laughing but started crying when she reached the bathroom. She didn’t tell anyone because all she wanted to was fit in at her new school. Today at lunch they got another large group to yell at her and laugh at her, but it went too far some students started throwing stick and small rocks. One rock hit Diana’s glasses and they broke. When she got to class her teacher asked her what happened to her glasses. What should Diana do? The other kid that threw the rock didn’t mean to break her glasses. Should she tell her teacher about the bullying? Discuss

Discuss this with your students. Explain to the students that Diana is being bullied and that is not right under any circumstances. Then ask them what they would do and why.

Lesson Explanation (30-40 minutes):

Step 1 - Tell the students that bullying is something that happens everywhere. Explain that there are many different types of bullying, and all bullying is not right.

Tell the students that bullying is when someone continually verbally or physically tries to control or hurt them.

• This can happen anywhere in person or on the computer.

Explain to the students that it is important to always report bullying whenever it happens to them or a friend.

Tell them that many other children are scared to report bullying because of what may happen to them.

• Tell the students that it is important to tell an adult about this always and know that you will be safe.

Explain that bullying will not stop unless they report it to an adult.

It is important to report bullying to an adult because it is not safe to let it happen.

Tell them that at school and home adults are there to help you stay safe. That is why it is important for them to know if you are being bullied.

Encourage them not to be worried about this and that if they tell the right person everything will be ok.

Also, explain that you are going to tell them how to report bullying and then they are going to practice.

Step 2 - How to Report Bullying

Explain to the students that when they or a friend is being bullied they should report a responsible adult, always. This can be a:

• →Teacher
• →Parent
• →Principal
• →School Administrator or Counselor
• →Care Taker
• →Coach
• →Adult Family Member

When they tell the adult they should tell them the 5W’s of reporting bullying:

• →Who is bullying them?
• →What happened when they were bullied?
• →When did the bullying last happen?
• →Where were they bullied?
• →Why do they feel unsafe? (they were threatened, it happens all the time, etc.)
• →How were they bullied? (physical, verbal, emotionally, etc.)

Explain that it is important to tell the adult that they feel unsafe and want them to help them.

• Make sure that the students understand that bullying will not stop unless they report it. They should not try to stop it on their own; they need to get an adult person’s help.

Then practice the 5W’s of reporting bullying with one of the scenarios that you went through earlier with the group.

• To do this on the board write down; who, what, when, where, why and how and fill in the blanks accordingly from the scenario in step 1 to help students see how to report bullying.

Step 3 - Reporting Role-play

Break the students into two groups. Explain to the groups that you are going to read a scenario to them and it will be their job to act out how to report it to an adult.

You will give the groups options on how to report it. One group will have an inappropriate way and the other group will have a correct way.

As a class they must determine the correct way to report bullying.

Then as a class review why it is important to report bullying.

Scenarios:

Bullying: Betty loves to play in her neighborhood. She plays on the playground every day. One day two other girls tell Betty that she cannot play on the playground anymore, unless she brings them candy every day. She ignores them and the next day at school the girls tell everyone that she sometimes wets the bed at night. Everyone laughs at Betty. Throughout that day the girls continue to tease and taunt Betty. Everyone in her class calls her Wetty Betty. Betty tells the girls to leave her alone. The girls do not. The next day at the playground they throw water balloons at her. At school they trip her and she falls in a puddle. Betty is scared to go outside. What should she do?

• GROUP #2: Report to an adult: At school the next day Betty tells her teacher what has been happening. Act out how she should report it.

Step 4 - Let’s report bullying.

Then have your students complete the worksheets about how to report bullying.

Step 5 - Review and Recap

Once the students have completed the worksheets, as a group talk about why it is important to report bullying again. Make sure they understand that it will not stop unless they report it and that those that are bullying need to know that it is not allowed.

• This only happens through reporting bullying.