Process
Bullying is a purposeful attempt to use power to make someone else feel bad or harm an individual. In a recent survey, 72% of boys and 68% of girls said that they had been bullied at school. The good news is that 90% of those students surveyed said they wanted to help stop the bullying. Today, you have been selected as a member of an anti-bullying taskforce and your mission is to design an anti-bullying program to eliminate bullying from the school.
Each taskforce is made up of 5 members. Each member of the taskforce will pick a different anti-bullying program from a list of suggested websites. You will analyze and evaluate your program and present your findings to the rest of your taskforce. You have 2 class periods to independently analyze and evaluate your selected program. You will have 2 class periods to present your findings to your taskforce members, decide which program the taskforce endorses and prepare your final presentation. The next class, all taskforce teams will present their endorsement to the class. Finally, a class vote will be conducted to determine which program will be submitted to the anti-bullying committee.
Step 1:
Using Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer as a web browser, each member needs to select an anti-bullying program from one of the following websites:
- Don't Laugh at Me
- Bully Busters for Kids
- The Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities
- Teasing and Bullying: Unacceptable Behaviour Program
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Bullying and Violence Prevention
- Stop Bullying Now
Step 2:
Each taskforce member needs to independently analyze and evaluate
their chosen program. Use Microsoft Word to make your notes. You have
2 class periods to do this. Here are some things to think about:
- Why do you think students will embrace the program?
- What measurable indicators are there that will let you know if the program is working?
- How does the program work?
- Who does the program target?
- Who runs the program?
- How are parents involved?
- How does the program help students who are bullied?
- How does the program help students who do the bullying?
- How does the program prevent bullying from happening in the future?
- How long does the program last?
Step 3:
Each taskforce team member will have 5 minutes to present their program to the group. Focus on what you think is particularily important or unique about your chosen program. Use the questions above and your own experiences to guide your inquiry. Remember to follow these ground rules during all presentations:
- Show mutual respect
- Demonstrate attentive listening
- Save your questions until the end of the presentation
- Be positive
Step 4:
After everyone has presented their selected program, as a group, vote on which program your taskforce believes is best for the school. If you like different aspects of different programs, combine them to create your own anti-bullying program!
Here are some ideas you can use for your presentation to the class:
- Use Microsoft PowerPoint
- Use the chalkboard
- Use posters
- Prepare a mock debate
- Prepare a skit/commercial
Step 5:
Voting time!