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Integrating Bullying Prevention in Content Area Lessons

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October is National Bullying Prevention Month and schools around the country have highlighted ways to unite students against bullying behavior.  Some alarming statistics from StopBullying include:

  • 20% of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying
  • 30% of young people have admitted to bullying someone 
  • 70.6% of students have witnessed bullying in schools
  • 70.4% of staff have witnessed bullying in schools

Bullying is undoubtedly a critical problem that is on the rise, especially with the issue of cyberbullying. Bullying from student engagement on social media and texting outside of school transfers into the classroom, affecting achievement, self-esteem, and more. So how can you do your part in solving the problem? Classroom climate, management, and student-created classroom rules have long been the go-tos for managing student behavior and conduct. However, there are some things you can do in your content lessons to explore bullying and its consequences.

Language Arts

Literature, short stories, biographies, and poetry abound with stories of bullying, victimization, and abuse. Narratives, writing, characters, and discussion are an effective combination in having students explore situations, consequences, and emotions. They can explore the varied perspectives of the bystander, victim, and perpetrator. A great example is The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. In this activity, students experience the emotional discomfort described in the book under bullying/peer pressure situations. 

Some additional ways you can explore these topics include:

Character analysis: Have students select a character and describe their role as a bully, victim, or bystander. Have them site evidence of the text of their motivations, reactions, actions as supporting evidence.

Journaling: Allow students to write about their personal experiences as a bully, victim, or bystander. Have them analyze their feelings, emotions, motivations, and consequences. 

Compare and Contrast: Relate characters from various novels that serve as bullies, victims, or bystanders. Have students find the similarities and differences between them and seek out patterns of history and behavior.

Letter Writing: Have students write letters to characters who are victimized. Help them provide encouragement and advice on what they should do , how they should handle the situation and their emotions, and seek help.

Social Studies

 History and current events are rich in situations of bullying. It is also a great opportunity to relate the past to the present and analyze if we have changed as a society or moved forward. Here are some ideas:

Historical events: Find moments in history that may have involved unfair treatment or oppression. Analyze who were victims, how bullying may have occurred, and if it was impacted by legislation or bystanders. Explore the consequences on the victims and society.

Current events: Relate current events to historical events that they may either be paralleling or in conflict. Is our society fighting similar conflicts throughout history? Has past resolve created new issues?

Taking action: Join an organization that protects and defends the oppressed in writing letters to legislators, donations, or spreading awareness.

Science and Math

These classes can be integrated to explore statistical analysis and alternative abusive situations. This can include animal behavior, hierarchy in habitats, and even environmental abuse. Students can explore the consequences of not acting and or being indifferent to the damage they may be causing the environment with their own actions.

Here are additional resources for integrating bullying with the content that include lesson plan ideas:

“Embedding Bullying Prevention in the Core Curriculum:  A Teacher’s Guide K-12” from Boston Public Schools

“How Teachers are Integrating Bullying Prevention Through the Curriculum” By Nicola Anne Wyslobicky

Share Your Bullying Lesson Plans!

Do you have a bullying lesson plan that works well within your content area? We’d love for you to share it for teachers around the world to enhance their classrooms! Not only can you contribute your own lessons, but you can access our vast repository of FREE open-educational resources as a community member! You can find the instructions for submitting and accessing resources here.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

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By Lani deGuia, Guest Blogger and Curriki Member

Bullying is a form of victimization where an individual is the target of harmful and repetitive aggressive behavior.  The perpetrator uses an imbalance of power in their favor over the target.

Source: Pixabay.com

According to research, about 1 out of 3 students in grades 6-12 in the United States say they have been bullied at school.  About 70% of young people say they have witnessed bullying in their schools.

It is apparent that the problem is prevalent and is a concern in K-12 school communities. It is critical for schools to be educated on what bullying is, be consistent with how they address it, and work to establish as safe school community for all of the students.

Because October has been identified by the PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center as National Bullying Prevention Month in the United States, Curriki is taking this opportunity to share resources that empower teachers to address and prevent bullying in schools.

Educate Others

  • Unity Day Oct. 25 – Today is Unity Day, when schools  across the United States join together in solidarity to promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion. This is the perfect time to spread awareness, wear orange to support the campaign, and participate in classroom and schoolwide activities such as discussions, parades, and murals.
  • Tweens Struggling With Bullying – These books reviewed by StorySnoops.com feature tween characters who struggle with bullying.
  • Beat A Bully Without Using Your Fists – This whiteboard animation teaches why bullying happens and how to deal with it successfully.
  • Books About Bullying – In this podcast from ReadWriteThink, bullying expert CJ Bott, author of The Bully in the Book and the Classroom and More Bullies in More Books provides insights on bullying and a variety of fiction and nonfiction books for teens that explore the problem of bullying.

Anti-Bullying Measures in the Classroom and Schools

  • Best Practices in Bullying Prevention – This handout from Stop Bullying Now! provides 10 basic practices for a quality Bullying Prevention Program.
  • Harmony in the Classroom – This book from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service provides strategies for building safe and inclusive classrooms for special populations.
  • PACER Downloads-Notify the School About Bullying – There are several downloads available from the PACER Center including a checklist on what to do when you encounter bullying in your school.
  • Anti-Bullying Program – This Anti-Bullying Program is intended for middle school administrators and teachers as an introduction to the prevalence and implications of adolescent bullying on school campuses. The program includes lectures and sample activities for teachers to implement into the classroom.

Anti-Bullying Lesson Plans

  • Bystander Revolution’s Bullying – This series of lessons for elementary, middle, and high school discusses verbal, physical and social bullying through discussions around awareness videos.
  • A Bad Case of Bullying:  Using Literature Response Groups – In this lesson, students learn how to effectively deal with bullying by participating in literature response groups and writing about when they experienced a similar situation or emotion as a fictional character.
  • The Chocolate War and Bullying – Resources on teaching about bullying through The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier include a marbles activity to discuss peer pressure and bullying as well as a letter to yourself on bullying.

Bullying can be diminished through education and persistence. Keep communication open, teach tolerance, understanding, and communication. Make schools safe for children!

Lani deGuia is a Norfolk, VA-based Educational Consultant with experience writing and developing curriculum and managing school technology.

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Creating Safe Schools for LGBTQ Students

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Curriki

You may find some of your students refusing to speak next Friday, April 21. That’s because it’s LGBT Day of Silence, a day during which students take a vow not to speak to protest the actual silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) students and their straight allies because of bias and harassment.

Download this free poster from Tolerance.org to post in your school – http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/LGBT%20Best%20Practices%20poster[1].pdf

The national advocacy group GLSEN (The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) sponsors the Day of Silence in thousands of schools as a student-led national event to bring awareness to the silencing effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.

Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence to encourage their schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBTQ behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment.

GLSEN has found that teacher interventions have helped reduce bullying and improve the lives of LGBTQ students, but there is still much work to be done to eliminate student harassment and discrimination.

Safe School Tools

If you are looking for tools to help transform your school into a safer, more tolerant space for the LGBTQ student population, your most immediate action is to respect those who choose to be silent next Friday. Here are some other helpful resources:

  • GSA Network – Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs, called GSAs, are youth-led groups that empower students to educate their schools and communities about diversity and support LGBT students. They are facilitated by the GSA Network, a racial and gender justice organization working to create safer schools and healthier communities.
  • Teaching Tolerance – Teaching Tolerance offers a list of strategies for creating an LGBT-inclusive School Climate.
  • TRUTH – TRUTH is a national trans and gender-nonconforming youth storytelling campaign that aims to build empathy and understanding by giving youth a forum to share their stories.
  • PACER’s Bullying Prevention Center – Of course, LGBTQ students aren’t the only ones who are bullied at school. The PACER website, which champions students with disabilities, says 1 in 5 students report that they have been bullied.

Bullying behavior creates risks for both victims and perpetrators. PACER says students who experience bullying are at increased risk for poor school adjustment, sleep difficulties, anxiety and depression. Students who engage in bullying behavior have more academic problems, substance use, and violent behavior later in adolescence and adulthood.

PACER’s Bullying Prevention Center has resources to help you identify and tackle the problem of bullying in your school. Carmen’s Resource Page will help you talk about bullying with younger children.  The Teens Against Bullying Website has effective strategies for middle and high school kids.

Photo of Janet PintoJanet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, leads and manages all of Curriki’s content development, user experience and academic direction. Learn more at Curriki.org.

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Help Stop Bullying During Bullying Prevention Month

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Curriki

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Bullying is one of the most pervasive – and damaging – aspects of life in middle and high school.

It’s linked to problems with mental health, poor grades, low self-esteem, substance abuse and even suicide. It can be blatant – a group of kids pushing a smaller one up against his locker – or insidious – a whispered lie spread around the school.

Either way, bullying can hurt and it can kill. It has no place in school – or in society.

Let’s take advantage of Bullying Prevention Month to shine a spotlight on bullying and brainstorm ways to make it stop in our schools!

What is Bullying?

Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly tries to harm someone who is weaker. It can involve direct attacks such as hitting, name calling and teasing, or indirect attacks, such as spreading rumors or trying to make others reject someone.

People often dismiss bullying as a normal part of growing up, but it is harmful, and its effects can last a lifetime. In severe cases, its victims bullied may feel they need to take drastic measures or react violently – as we have all seen in the stories behind some school shootings – and some even commit suicide.

Here are some grim stats about bullying, from the Stop Bullying Now Foundation: http://stopbullyingnowfoundation.org/main/

  • 60% of middle school students say that they have been bullied, while only 16% of staff believes that students are bullied.
  • 160,000 students stay home from school every day due to bullying.
  • 30% of students who reported they had been bullied said they had at times brought weapons to school.
  • A bully is 6 times more likely to be incarcerated by the age of 24.
  • A bully is 5 times more likely to have a serious criminal record when he grows up.
  • Two-thirds of students who are targets become bullies.
  • 20% of high school students say they have seriously considered suicide within the last 12 months.
  • 25% of students say that teachers intervened in bullying incidents, while 71% of teachers say they intervened.
  • Bullying was a factor in 2/3 of the 37 school shootings reviewed by the US Secret Service.
  • In schools where there are anti-bullying programs, bullying is reduced by 50%.

Cyber Bullying

bullying-infographicIn the 21st Century, the Internet has become a bullying weapon of choice, so parents and teacher must be vigilant to help prevent cyberbullying. Here are some tips from Curriki on how to stop it and how you can use technology to battle its effects.

How Can You Help?

It’s clear that educators need to step up and be more vigilant about preventing and stopping bullying – because that can truly make a difference in children’s lives and long-term outcomes.

Curriki’s course Kindness, School Climate and Bullying Prevention offers a number of resources for educators to promote awareness of bullying behaviors among students and prevent bullying behavior in schools. It includes tips on how to respond to bullying, whether you’re a parent, a teacher or a bystander.

Here are some other anti-bullying resources offered by Curriki:

Make a Difference!

Parents and educators – step up and make a difference during Bullying Prevention Month. Share this blog post with your friends on social media and spread the word on how to stop bullying!

Janet Pinto - Curriki CAO/CMOJanet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, leads and manages all of Curriki’s content development, user experience, and academic direction. Learn more at Curriki.org.

Sign up for Curriki’s enewsletter!

Braver, Stronger: October is National Bullying Prevention Month

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer, CurrikiJanet Pinto - Curriki CAO/CMO

In recent years, bullying has garnered a lot of attention with good reason. From students who are teased in the classroom, to cyberbullying that continues outside of school walls. For today’s youth, bullying isn’t limited to the tough kid on the playground. Kids can be attacked online by people they’ve never even met. It’s becoming increasingly important for parents to understand the statistics, as well as the resources available to help their children feel strong and protected.

The Centers for Disease Control has illuminated the severity of this issue through their research. They reported that bullying increases a child’s risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and poor performance in school. These students are also at an elevated risk for substance abuse and violent tendencies as adults.

Recent statistics from pacer.org show just how prevalent bullying is:

  • 22 percent of students, roughly one in four, reported that they have experienced bullying.
  • 64 percent of students who were bullied did not report it.
  • A staggering 30 percent of students admitted to having bullied others. This number is especially important. While a big part of putting a stop to bullying is educating our children to protect themselves, it may be even more important to teach them that bullying others is wrong.

At Curriki we also take bullying seriously. We offer several courses on bullying awareness and prevention:

Concerned parents can take a stand by learning how to help prevent bullying, both online and at school. StopBullying.gov offers several great educational resources on this topic.

Creating a positive atmosphere among students, and teaching our children to be kind to one another, is paramount to putting an end to America’s bullying problem. Pacer offers a variety of resources for parents and educators, and a number of excellent programs that tackle this issue head on. Go to their website to learn how you can get involved today.

 

Speak Up Against Bullying!

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janetpic_preferred_croppedBy Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer

Bullying used to be the tough kid beating up a smaller classmate. Today, cyber bullying is much more prevalent with students using electronic devices to send mean text messages, post rumors on social networking sites, and share embarrassing pictures and videos.

Video – Bullies and Bystanders: What Teens Say

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1aRZvOkoDg&w=560&h=315]

Here are a few concerning facts from 2014 Cyberbullying Statistics:

  • 25 percent of teenagers report that they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or on the internet.
  • Over half (52 percent) off young people report being cyber bullied.
  • Of the young people who reported cyber bullying incidents against them, one-third (33 percent) of them reported that their bullies issued online threats.
  • Over half (55 percent) of all teens who use social media have witnessed outright bullying via that medium.
  • More than 80 percent of teens regularly use cell phones, making them the most popular form of technology and therefore a common medium for cyber bullying.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and now is an ideal time to get your school and students involved.

Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers several ways to show your support:

  • Register your school or organization as a Champion Against Bullying
  • Add your name to the digital “The End of Bullying Begins With Me” petition
  • Sign up for the Bullying Prevention Newsletter
  • Talk in your community about bullying prevention and local activities.

Stop Bullying: Take a Stand

StopBullying.gov offers several training resources as part of their Bullying Prevention Training Center, including a Bullying Prevention Training Module Presentation, a Community Action Toolkit that includes materials to create a community event, and Training for Educators and School Bus Drivers.

Encourage students to make a difference too! Recently, Harker School 5th grade student Yash Narayan received the “Best Educational App” award from iOSDevCamp (normally attended by adults), where he created an innovative app called BullyWatch. Using BullyWatch, when students feel bullied, they press a button that turns orange, expressing emotions to the bully of feeling bullied. Usually bullies will then back off, but if not, the student can press the watch for a few more seconds and it will turn red, sending a text message to school staff with the victimized student’s name and location, thus alerting teachers.

Visit Curriki to find a collection on bullying resources.

The End of Bullying Begins with You

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By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer, Curriki

janetpic_preferred_cropped

The sad fact is that kids can be brutally cruel to each other and this bullying can take place in person or online. October marks the start of National Bullying Prevention Month  when each of us can take an active role in bullying prevention.

Statistics show that teens are using different forms of technology such as email, texting or social media, to bully others.  According to Cyber bullying statistics from the i-SAFE foundation:

  • Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
  • More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.
  • Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
  • Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.

bullyday-2013-tshirtWhat can we do?  Pacer has created a number of ways you can get involved – whether you’re an educator, student, parent or individual:

Curriki also offers several resources including Bullying, lessons on Cyber Safety , and lesson on Stop Bullying. This is an important issue, so please share this or forward to a friend. Thank you!

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