It’s that time of year again – Anti-Bullying Week! This year’s theme is ‘Power For Good’ and we have a few familiar faces to tell us a bit more…

You might remember Dog, Cat and Mouse You might remember Dog, Cat and Mouse. Last year, during Anti-Bullying Week they told us about the importance of being yourself and letting others enjoy doing the things they choose to do. Now they are back to tell us all how we can use our ‘Power For Good’ when it comes to bullying.

Cat loves Superheroes. Who knows any famous superheroes? (Ask for ideas) (Some might be: Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, etc.)

What do most Superheroes have in common? (Ask for ideas) Some answers may be superpowers, outfits, weapons. What about some of the other qualities most superheroes share, such as Strength Doing the right thing Courage/bravery Helping others

Who knows what a bystander is..?

A bystander is a person who is at an event or incident but does not take part. What does this mean?

People in a crowd watching something happen People in a crowd watching something happen. Maybe they just stand and watch, maybe they take photos/videos.

People who are around when someone is treated unkindly, or bullied. Maybe they just watch, maybe they laugh.

If you were a bystander in some of these next scenes… what would you do?

The more people who are at an event, the less likely it is that anyone will do anything. Why? Can anyone think of why people might not do anything if they see something bad happening?

Is this some kind of joke? No one else is doing anything

Someone else must be getting help

Do you think these people are Superheroes? No…? Why not? Ask first question & wait for responses before clicking on. Ask last question and children should say things like “they are not helping/thinking of others/being brave/doing the right thing”.

Can anyone remember the qualities of a Superhero? Strength Doing the right thing Courage/bravery Helping others The people in those images were not showing any of these qualities. By thinking someone else will help or that it’s a joke, no-one is helping the people who need it. Can you imagine if it were you who needed help?

So what should bystanders do?

Tell the person to stop, if it is safe to do so. See it, get help, stop it. Don’t join in Tell the person to stop, if it is safe to do so. If someone is being bullied, make sure they are not alone. Stress the importance of keeping yourself safe. Ask question to audience – answers will hopefully include telling someone. This may be a teacher, a parent, another adult or even phoning the police/ambulance, etc.

Don’t be a BYstander, be an UPstander When an upstander sees or hears about someone being bullied, they speak up. Being an upstander is being a hero: we are standing up for what is right and doing our best to help support and protect someone who is being hurt.

We don’t have to wear a costume to be a hero. Use your #powerforgood.