Primary Assembly

What does the word ‘bullying’ mean to you? Ask the children to say what they think ‘bullying’ is. Steer responses to show that bullying isn’t always physical and doesn’t always happen face-to-face. Try to get the children to talk about bullying online or via their phones. Explain that bullying can be as simple as just ignoring someone. You could even use the ABA definition of bullying: the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Link to the next slide by suggesting that those who bully often target individuals who are different in some way.

What makes us different? No two of us are exactly the same. It’s these differences that make us interesting and diverse. Wherever we go, we can always find diversity all around us. Image © Shutterstock.com/Rawpixel Use this slide as a starting point to talk about diversity. Ask the children to look at the child next to them and think of at least one difference and one similarity between them. Focus on the idea that it’s these differences that make us unique – but that we also have so much in common. Tell the children that they should be confident and proud of the things that make them different and that they should respect and celebrate the differences they see in others.

It’s NEVER the victim’s fault No matter what anyone says, it’s never your fault if you’re being bullied. Don’t retaliate. But there are other ways you can respond to bullying. Image © Shutterstock.com/SelenaBrush Explain to the children that those who bully often use phrases like: “You made me angry”, “You shouldn’t be so annoying” or “It’s obvious why you haven’t got any friends”. All of these phrases make victims of bullying feel like it is their fault, but that is never true. Ask their children what their first reaction would be if someone hit them or said something nasty to them. Talk about what might happen if you choose to fight back, send a nasty message in reply, or seek to embarass the other person. Will this resolve the problem? Will it be clear who is in the wrong? Introduce the next few slides by explaining that there are other ways that we can protect ourselves from bullying behaviour. What can we say to ourselves to make ourselves feel better? What would you say to a friend who is being bullied? Remember if you are bullied it is not your fault.

What would you do? A new boy has joined your class and your best friend has started spending all their time with him. Do you…. Start ignoring your friend. They obviously don’t want to spend time with you any more. Start spending more time with other classmates and hope your friend will join in eventually. Try to get to know the new boy. If your best friend really likes him, you’ll probably like him too. Read out the slide and ask the children to select the response that best fits how they would have reacted in this situation.

What would you do? You really want to play football at lunchtime, but someone has taken your ball. Do you…. Get really angry and sit and sulk on your own. Think of a different game to play. Who needs football! Use the opportunity to get to know some of your other classmates. You never play with them normally as you’re always playing football. After lunch, you tell the teacher that someone has stolen your football. Read out the slide and ask the children to select the response that best fits how they would have reacted in this situation.

What would you do? Your teacher asks you to paint a picture of something in the classroom. You pick something to paint, but when you’re finished, it doesn’t look anything like what it’s supposed to be. Do you…. Scribble all over it and then screw it up and throw it away. Stick with it. It’s your interpretation. It doesn’t have to be exact. See if you can turn it into something else. It might make a really pretty pattern. Read out the slide and ask the children to select the response that best fits how they would have reacted in this situation. At the end of this slide, ask for a show of hands to reveal how many people chose mostly A’s, mostly B’s, mostly C’s etc.

What would you do? Mostly A’s: You sometimes let things get you down. Try to stay strong and think of positive solutions to your problems. Mostly B’s: You take things in your stride. Make sure you aren’t missing an opportunity to turn a problem into an opportunity though. Mostly C’s: You always see the potential in any situation. A problem can always be turned around to your advantage. Keep it up! What do the children’s answers reveal about how they deal with problems? Focus on the ideas of resilience and grit.

Power for Good Anti-Bullying Week 2016 - runner up film from Clayton Hall Academy Watch the video together here: https://youtu.be/5Ips1TVcg1E Once it is finished, ask the children to think about how the girl is feeling. What is the impact of the unkind words. How do these words compare with the kind words later in the video? How much happier does the girl seem by the end? Stress that it is important to respect other people and be kind. Do things that make you feel good, and help you to relax and make new friends. Remember you don’t have to be everyone’s friend, but it’s important to be nice to everyone. If you do something wrong, remember to say sorry, and make sure you always treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

Is it bullying? I’m so glad I don’t have to wear glasses. Image © Shutterstock.com/Armation The next few slides show different scenarios. Use them to discuss what bullying actually is. Remember, it must be persistent and intentionally harmful. In this image, the girl is saying “I’m so glad I don’t have to wear glasses”. It may be that she hasn’t noticed that the other girl is wearing glasses, or she doesn’t realise that what she’s saying is hurtful. In this case she is being rude.

Is it bullying? Why are you so annoying! You look so stupid in those ugly glasses! Image © Shutterstock.com/Moriz In this image, the boy is angry. He is being intentionally hurtful, but it’s a one-off. It may be that he has fallen out with a friend and lost his temper. What he is saying is mean, but it’s not really bullying unless it’s happening often. The boy should make sure he says sorry after he has calmed down.

Is it bullying? Image © shutterstock.com/gcpics This image shows bullying. Cyber bullying is threatening, intentionally hurtful and repeated over time. It leaves the person experiencing the bullying feeling alone and worthless.

Is it bullying? Rude Mean Bullying Unintentional Hurtful One-off Happens more than once, even when you ask them to stop or show that you’re upset. This slide seeks to explain the difference between one-off rude or mean behaviour, and bullying. Read out the ABA definition of bullying: the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.

Use your Power for Good Image © Shutterstock.com/AnnaKutanova As we saw in the video, we all have the power to make or break someone’s day by what we say, or how we make them feel. How can you use your Power for Good to stop bullying? Ask the children to say how they might use their Power for Good. Praise responses that suggest a strong and confident response to bullying (e.g. approaching a school councillor/older student or reporting bullying content on social media sites), but do not encourage retaliation.