Today we are going to be talking about bullying Today we are going to be talking about bullying. Bullying is an important topic because it has deep and long lasting consequences for all involved and because one in every three people have been a victim of bullying. So, that means that every person in this room has probably experienced bullying or has a loved one, maybe a brother, sister, or cousin, who has been the victim of bullying.

In NYS, Governor Patterson has enacted legislation to eliminate discrimination, harassment, and bullying in schools. Bullying is defined as any intentional written, verbal, or physical act against another individual as a show of power. It includes but is not limited to those acts based on actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex. Those who engage in bullying can be charged with criminal liability in addition to civil suits. The excuses of, “I was just teasing” or “we were just joking around” do not fly. The test to determine if you are bullying or joking is whether both parties involved were “having fun”. If one person isn’t, then it is bullying. So, the best bet is to avoid these behaviors altogether and that way there will be no issues or misunderstandings.

Types of Bullying Physical – Pushing, shoving, hitting, tripping, and other acts which physically harm another person This is probably the one we think of most often.

Types Of Bullying Verbal – Insults, harassment, taunts, and other forms of aggression (expressed verbally or in writing) This is probably the most frequent form of bullying

Types of Bullying Emotional intimidation or relational aggression – Withdrawing friendship or rejecting someone in order to assert control over that person This happens most often with girls, but boys have been known to engage in this type of bullying too.

Types of Bullying Racial bullying -Mocking racial traditions, spray painting racist graffiti, making racial slurs and engaging in other racist behaviors Racial bullying happens across all races. An important point to note is you could be saying something to a friend, such as the “N” word and if that is offensive to someone nearby, that can be considered to be bullying and harassment. I think there are more reasons than that to avoid that particular word, but I hope you will think twice about using it.

Types of Bullying Sexual bullying- making sexual comments or engaging in unwanted sexual touching Keep your hands to yourself and keep sexual comments out of your discussions.

Types of Bullying Cyber bullying- using the internet or social media to bully or harass There are lots of court cases about this. Mostly because it is easy to prove – a record is kept automatically and can be provided to courts.

Roles of Bullying The Bully – The person or persons doing the bullying The Victim – The person or persons being bullied The Bystander – The person or persons witnessing the bullying (Explain slide first) We are going to watch a video about bullying and I want you to pay special attention to the role of the bystander. (Watch Parts 1 and 2)

Part 1 and 2 - Jessica Alexis Sarah What happened with the bullies? Jessica? Other bystanders? Sarah Did Sarah’s actions make things better or worse for Jessica? (Do slide first) Now we are going to watch a scenario with boys bullying. (Watch Part 3)

Part 3 - Dylan Elijah What happened when an adult entered? Did anyone tell? What does this mean? Who has the power to stop bullying? (Do slide first) Let’s watch the next clip. (Play Part 5)

Part 5 - Rachel Katie Easy to judge – Can you think of a time when you joined in to bullying? Would you “pass the test” if your parents were watching hidden cameras here at school or in the community?

Rachel Con’t Lily Was Lily “nice”? If you were being bullied, what would it mean to you to have someone like Lily around? Was Lily “nice”? Which girl’s behavior would you be more proud of if your parents were watching – Katie’s or Lily’s? (Do slide first) Let’s watch the rest of this clip (Show Part 6)

Part 6 - Veronica What do you think about the advice given to Veronica? If you were being bullied, do you think it would work for you?

Nice Girls and True Compassion Sometimes you have to be mean to be nice. What does this mean? Here’s another case where the bystander made a difference. She didn’t stand up to the bully. What did she do?

Action Plans to Prevent Bullying To the Bully: Your actions show poor character and poor self- esteem. Your actions can result in criminal and civil charges in court and will result in suspensions at school. Don’t bully and don’t “play” in a way that could be seen as bullying.

Action Plans to Prevent Bullying To the Victim: Tell an adult. Stand up to the bully (like Veronica). Enlist friends. Know that there is nothing wrong with being who you are.

Action Plans to Prevent Bullying To the Bystander: You have the most power to stop bullying. Confront the bully. Tell an adult. Be a friend to the victim – show compassion.

Action Plans to Prevent Bullying Make a pledge