Help to Make Tatem A Better Place Lesson Two: The Bystander—The Kid in the Middle Can Make a Difference Help to Make Tatem A Better Place Grades K and 1

Our Learning Goals Review the words aggressor and target. Define the role of a bystander in a bullying situation

Aggressors and Targets The person who chooses to hurt or damage a relationship. A bully. The person who is aggressed upon or bullied. The object of the bullying.

Let’s Have A Catch Form a circle You may throw the ball to anyone in the circle (first call his name) One student will be the person in the middle Questions Was it easier to throw the ball to someone with or without the person in the middle trying to stop the throw? Did more people in the middle make it harder to throw to your target person? How can a person in the middle of the circle change the path of throwing the ball?

Just Kidding Think about how Vince and D.J.’s friends reacted to what was happening in the story. We call these kids Bystanders A bystander is the person or persons who are not aggressors or targets but are caught someone in between. We can also call them a kid in the middle.

Bystanders They see and hear everything and are often upset about what is going on, but they often do not know what to do or say to help. How might our story have ended differently if the kids in the middle had acted differently? When Vince called D.J. a “girlie” instead of a “goalie,” what would have happened if one of the other boys had said, “That’s not funny”? When Vince said that D.J. couldn’t take a joke, what would have happened if another boy said, “It’s not a joke. You are being mean”? What if one of the boys had gone to ask an adult for help?

The Kid in the Middle It can be scary to be the one who is watching when one boy is being mean to another child. It takes courage to help a friend who is being picked on. It is hard to know what to say to the child who is being mean. Most kids in the middle worry that they will be picked on next if they stick up for the child being teased. Asking an adult for help is a good option.

What you can do if you’re a Kid in the Middle—Role Play Say, “That not funny or nice” Support the person being teased Don’t laugh at the comment or join in the teasing Move and stand near the person being teased Ask an adult for help Talk to the person who got teased and tell them that you didn’t think it was funny or nice

Summary How was being in the middle of the game of catch like being a kid in the middle of a bullying situation? Does having more kids in the middle in a game of catch make it harder for the thrower to reach its target? What about in a bullying situation—does having more kids in the middle make it harder for the bully to pick on his target? Why?

a BIG difference in getting The Kid in the Middle or Bystander Can make a BIG difference in getting in the way of bullying!!