Stop Bullying in Your Community

National Philoptochos Presents

Stop Bullying In Your Community

An Anti-Bullying Curriculum Targeted for

GOYA-Aged Children in 7th - 12th Grades

Information for Youth Groups, Advisors and Community Members

"I wish to take this opportunity to inform you of the impact one of your initiatives had on our GOYA group. Carol Stamas, one of Ascension’s GOYA Advisors, offered the presentation "Stop Bullying in Your Community." This very pertinent information generated a stimulating and thoughtful discussion that included the recount of one of our GOYANs on her personal experience as a victim of bullying.

Additionally, several of our youth shared their perspectives on bullying and its impact on children/youth of all ages. In these times of unrest and turmoil all around us, I believe it is essential that we provide this kind of information to our youth and particularly so in a faith based setting.

Needless to say, I highly recommend other Youth Groups to have this presentation made so that our Youth can get a better understanding of bullying as well as learning methods of dealing with such behavior.

Thank you again for this excellent initiative; it truly made a difference."

- Fr. Sotiri P. Malamis

Ascension of our Lord Greek Orthodox Church

Lincolnshire, IL

Bullying

It can happen anywhere, cities, suburbs or rural towns depending on the environment.

Repetitive actions, power imbalance and intentional acts are the three main components causing verbal, physical and relational types of harmful behavior among our youth.

It is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated over time. Both children who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

Some people dismiss bullying among children as a normal part of growing up, but bullying is harmful. It can lead children and teenagers to feel tense and afraid. It may lead them to avoid school, and in severe cases, teens who are bullied may feel they need to take drastic measures, react violently, or even consider suicide. The effects of bullying last a lifetime.

Parents, school staff, youth advisors and other adults in the community can help GOYAns, teens in the 7th through 12th grades, prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school and church environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

The Stop Bullying In Your Community program and curriculum is a collection of videos and PowerPoint presentations. They are provided below and are designed to be used in chronological order. The Activities under Resources can be used, as desired, to reinforce the PowerPoint presentation. The curriculum culminates with the video I See That and It’s NOT Okay where students can upload anti-bullying emojis to their smart phones in order to send them to offenders via text messaging. We hope that this program will be of benefit and help to eradicate bullying in your community.

Be the Bee #3 Stand Against Bullying

Courtesy of Y2AM (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and Office of Camping Ministries)

*To watch in Full screen, first click the slide title bar at the top and then click on the symbol in the lower right corner.

Stop Bullying in Your Community Presentation

[Click on the above image to download the Stop Bullying In Your Community PowerPoint directly onto your computer]

Click here for the PDF version of the above presentation.

This presentation is not only valuable for young people, but also for the adults in your community.

The Learning Activities in the Resource Section below are intended for use along with this PowerPoint presentation as reinforcing activities for the information presented on the slides.

Teen Talk on Cyberbullying –

a video produced by teens for teens

*To watch in Full screen, first click the slide title bar at the top and then click on the symbol in the lower right corner.

You’re Braver Than You Believe –

a video that gives all of us the courage to stand up for each other.

*To watch in Full screen, first click the slide title bar at the top and then click on the symbol in the lower right corner.

Remember to take the Anti-Bullying Pledge (Activities 14 and 15)

and Load the following emoji to your phone and Stop bullying!

I See That and It’s NOT Okay

Be Proactive – Stop Bullying the Minute You See It

A video and emojis to remind your friends that bullying is NOT okay.

Philoptochos Pick:

Wonder is a book about a young boy, August Pullman, who has a congenital facial abnormality who has to cope with a range of reactions to his unusual appearance. Some kids use hateful language, and some people suggest that Auggie is mentally deficient. However, goodness wins out, and readers should find it inspiring and uplifting. This book can teach many different lessons. The one that stood out to me was not to judge by the way someone looks but by the inner character of that person.

To watch a trailor of the movie, based on the New York Times best seller, please click here.

Resources

Learning Activities

These activities and posters are intended for use with the PowerPoint presentation above. Choose the activities that work best with your group. Each activity listed below is linked to a downloadable document.

A. ACTIVITIES/POSTER/DISCUSSION

1. Balloon Game - use with Slide #15; work on the activity individually, then have young people share their thoughts to promote discussion

2. Bullying Word Scramble Activity & Answer Sheet - use with Slide #3

3. Take a Compliment Tear-Offs - use with Slide #5; have young people work in groups to come up with compliments that will help a peer who has been bullied; share and discuss

4. You Matter to Me Tear-Offs - use with Slide #6; have young people work in groups to come up with compliments that will help a peer who has been bullied; share and discuss

5. Cyberbullying - THIS IS A KEY ACTIVITY as Cyberbullying is extremely prevalent among young people; use with Slides #8-12; start by printing form and having young people fill in the boxes, then follow with group discussion

B. BE A BUDDY NOT A BULLY

6. Help Stop Bullying - use with Slide #4; follow with group discussion to review ways to stand up to a bully

7. Words Wound - use with Slide #9; work in pairs and brainstorm ways that words can be hurtful or helpful; follow with sharing and group discussion

8. Fight Bullying - use with Slide #13; group discussion - collaborate on best ways to Fight Bullying

C. ARTS & CRAFTS

9. Create a T-Shirt - use with Slide #7; young people design their own Anti-Bullying slogans and share their T-Shirt designs; if desired, young people can print their T-Shirts and wear them to a subsequent meeting

10. Message Bead Bracelet - use with Slide #15; share Anti-Bullying designs and slogans with the group; take photos of designs and display on bulletin board

D. ICE BREAKERS

11. Toothpaste Tube - use with Slide #2; ask a volunteer to write the group's comments on a chalkboard or poster following the activity; discuss how the words someone uses do make a difference

12. Crinkled Heart - a good activity to sum up the program

13. Crumpled Paper Wounded Heart - a good activity to sum up the program; have young people write about a time they were wounded by someone's hurtful words and then share with group

E. PLEDGES

14. I Take the Pledge (middle school)

15. Anti-Bullyiing Pledge (high school)

F. POSTERS

16. Anti-Bullying Pledge - post and use with Slide #26

17. Stand Up to Bullying - post and use with Slide #16; ask young people to brainstorm and write assertive phrases they can use to stop bullies; discuss which assertive phrases would be most effective to stop a bully

18. Stop Cyber Bullying - post and use with Slides #10, 11, 12; have the group share their experiences with cyberbullying

19. Team Up Handprint - use activity with Slide #23, discuss and post; discuss how peer pressure can help or hurt others

G. QUOTES

Use and discuss throughout the program; post on bulletin board; also can be used as a Journaling Activity at the start or end of a meeting; ask students for their response to each quotation; break into small groups to discuss the quotes that impact them most; or have young people select and write the quotes that are most insightful

20. Bullying Prevention Quotes 1

21. Bullying Prevention Quotes 2

22. Bullying Prevention Quotes 3

23. Bullying Prevention Quotes 4

24. Bullying Prevention Quotes 5

25. Bullying Prevention Quotes 6

26. Collection of Quotes on Bullying

27. Quotes for a Positive Life – Excerpts from the late Andy Rooney, who was on the CBS Show 60 Minutes

H. WORD GAMES

For fun as reinforcing activities

28. Bully Prevention Bingo

Rules
Players' Cards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Caller's Card

29. Kindness Bingo

Rules
Players' Cards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Caller's Card

30. Crossword Puzzle - use with Slide #25

31. Word Search 1 - use with Slide #21; work individually, with partners, or in groups

32. Word Search 2 - use with Slide #18; work individually, with partners, or in groups

33. Word Search 3 - use with Slide #22; work individually, with partners, or in groups

I. WRITING

34. Thinking About Feelings - use with Slide #14

35. Ways to Stop a Bully - use with Slide #20

36. Stop a Bully – Gain a Friend - use with Slide #17

37. Write About a Time You Stopped a Bully - use with Slide #27

Orthodox Teen Survival Guides

These one-page hand-outs are courtesy of Y2AM (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and Camping Ministries). You can also find them on their site: https://www.goarch.org/-/orthodox-christian-teen-survival-guide. Use them as discussion starters for meetings on the various topics.

The Self-Esteem Journal –

A Guide for All Ages, by Mary L. Johnson

Please click here to access the Self-Esteem Journal.

Print the linked journal and use with young people to build their self-esteem and confidence.

References

Websites

www.stopbullying.gov - resources adults can use to help young people stop bullying

http://eyesonbullying.org - a toolkit to supplement your anti-bullying program

www.stompoutbullying.org - a place to get help for young people who have been bullied

www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/tab/ - a video of young people discussing bullying

www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/toolkits/ - a toolkit of resources for students from the National Bullying Prevention Center

www.nea.org/tools/lessons/teaching-students-to-prevent-bullying.html - additional resources for students from the National Education Association

Books

Garbarino, James & deLara, Ellen. (2002) And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying, Harassment, and Emotional Violence. New York: The Free Press.

Hannah, Margaret. (2010) Cyberbullying and Parenting: Back to the Basics. Newton, MA: MSPP Interface Referral Service.

Slaby, Ronald G & Bernstein, Judith Y. (2012) Bullying Prevention: When Your Child Is the Victim, the Bully, or the Bystander. Waltham, MA: Massachusetts Medical Society.

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