Step up to stop bullying
When we see a bullying situation playing out, it can be really hard to know what to do. Bystanders often worry that they may become the target of the behaviour if they stand up to it. This activity will explore some practical intervention strategies for standing up to bullying behaviour in a safe and respectful way.
Year level
7-10
Duration
5 minutes
Type
In class activity
Whole school and year assemblies
SEL Competencies
Responsible decision-making
Social awareness
Relationship skills
Learning intention
Students can explain practical ways to promote anti-bullying bystander behaviour.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
identify the important role bystanders play in preventing bullying behaviour
explain practical ways to stand up to bullying behaviour
develop engaging ways to educate other young people on how to step up to stop bullying.
Materials needed
Access to the ReachOut.com video 'Step up to stop bullying'
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education
Refine protective behaviours and evaluate community resources to seek help for themselves and others (AC9HP8P08)
Refine, evaluate and adapt strategies for managing changes and transitions (AC9HP10P02)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Social awareness
Ethical Understanding:
Understanding ethical concepts and perspectives
Critical and Creative Thinking:
Generating
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Investigates effective strategies to promote inclusivity, equality and respectful relationships (PD4-3)
Analyses factors and strategies that enhance inclusivity, equality and respectful relationships (PD5-3)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Investigate the benefits of relationships and examine their impact on their own and others’ health and wellbeing (VCHPEP127)
Evaluate situations and propose appropriate emotional responses and then reflect on possible outcomes of different responses to health and wellbeing (VCHPEP147)
Activity 1
Instructions
5 minutes
As a group, watch the ReachOut.com video 'Step up to stop bullying'.
Tell the students that their task is to work as a group (3–4 students) to design a promotional idea or resource that could be used to educate students at their school about how to step up to stop bullying. For example, they could design a poster, a rap, a dance or a poem.
Ask the students to think of practical ways they could showcase these ideas to the rest of the school – for example, as a school assembly or in visual displays.
Encourage the students to implement their ideas at school.
Debrief
One of the most effective ways to change bullying behaviour is to teach students how to stand up to it. Research has shown that student bystanders are usually present when bullying occurs, and that in about half the cases the bullying stops if a bystander speaks up to discourage it.
