1. HANDLING GOSSIP AND RUMORS Social Harassment Day 4

2. USING GOSSIP TO HARASS  Kids talks about kids all the time.  But when does that talk become harassment?

3. USING GOSSIP TO HARASS  Social harassment: anonymous prank phone calls or harassing emails from dummy accounts playing jokes or tricks designed to embarrass and humiliate deliberate exclusion of other kids for no real reason whispering in front of other kids with the intent to make them feel left out name calling, rumor spreading and other malicious verbal interactions being friends one week and then turning against a peer the next week with no incident or reason for the alienation encouraging other kids to ignore or pick on a specific child inciting others to act out violently or aggressively

4. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  Chris and Blake made plans to go to the movies. Chris never showed up. It’s not the first time he’s done this to Blake. He makes plans, then he forgets or changes his mind.

5. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  Blake tells his friends Reagan and Marvin that Chris is a jerk. “He didn’t show up because he’s a liar. You can’t trust him,” Blake grumbles.

6. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  How can gossip hurt a friendship?  Is Blake trying to use gossip to harass Chris? Why? Why not?

7. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  Annie does not like Jamie, so she spread some rumors about her. First, Annie accused Jamie of trying to steal her boyfriend. Then she said there was a “problem” at Jamie’s old school. Even though Jamie’s friends know the rumors aren’t true, a lot of kids at school look at her and whisper. Jamie feels depressed and her grades are down.

8. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  How can a rumor be used to harass someone?

9. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  Jeremy starts a rumor that Tyler was cheating on a test. Tyler mistakenly thinks Go-Go is spreading the story. He confronts Go-Go outside of school and it leads to a fight.

10. ANALYZE THIS SITUATION  How can a rumor lead to a confrontation?

11. HANDLING GOSSIP AND RUMORS  Complete worksheet: Is This A Problem?