BULLY GAME
BACKGROUND ON BULLYING
WHAT MAKES A BULLY

BULLY GAME

Hand out these six scenarios to the Sixers.  Have them decide who will play what role within their Six. Then have the Cubs act out each of the scenes in front of the rest of the Pack.  Let the Cubs watching choose the best course of action.  Make sure the Cubs behave in a responsible manner.  Discuss some of the background information listed below.

1. What if two bullies corner you on the bus or in the school and demand your lunch or lunch money. You should...
- Scream. "Get lost," and shove them out of the way
- Give them what you have and then tell the bus driver, a teacher, or another trusted adult
- Try to talk them out of it. Then move away (change seats)
- Demand your lunch back, even if it means fighting him or his friends

2. What if a bully keeps picking on you on the playground at school. You should...
- Get all your friends together and beat the bully up
- Try your best to ignore the bully. If that doesn't work, try talking calmly to get out of the situation
- Realize it is not your fault the bully keeps picking on you. Tell a teacher, playground aid, counselor, or other trusted adult and ask them to help

3. What if during recess you overhear a group of kids talking about how they are going to beat up one of your classmates after school? You should...?
- Join in because you don't really like the classmate either
- If you know the group of people, talk with them and find a better, nonviolent way of dealing with the problem
- Tell a teacher or other trusted adult
- Do nothing since they aren't going to beat you up

4. Someone trips you at school, making you get hurt when you fall down? You should...?
- Stay curled up on the floor, crying
- Stand up, brush yourself off, ignore the bully and walk away
- Tell a teacher or other trusted adult
- Get up and hang around, and argue with the bully

5. A bully and his friends start calling you names and make fun of you. You should...?
- Hunch up and lower your eyes and stand around listening
- Start calling the bully and his friends names
- Stand tall, ignore the bully and walk away
- Speak to a friend, teacher or parent

6. Play act these strategies with the Cubs.  The trick is for the Cub to know how to act, so he can deliver it assuredly to the bully. Explain that though he has the right to feel angry, it’s not okay to let it get out of control. Besides, anger just fuels the bully:
Cool down. When you confront the bully stay calm and in control. Don’t let him think he’s getting to you. If you need to calm down, count to 20 slowly inside your head or say to yourself, “let's get out of this correctly”
Assert yourself. Be confident of your actions and be sure in what you say.  Only say what is important and not something that will fuel the problem
Look at the teaser straight in the eye. Appear confident, hold your head high and stand tall
Mean it! Use a firm, strong voice. Say what you feel but don’t be insulting, threaten or tease back
Walk away without looking back.  Ignore the Bully
Make sure you have proof before reporting serious bullying.  Having a witness helps

BACKGROUND ON BULLYING

1. What is bullying?
Bullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to have power over another person.
Some of the ways they bully other people are by: calling them names, saying or writing nasty things about them, leaving them out of activities, not talking to them, threatening them, making them feel uncomfortable or scared, taking or damaging their things, hitting or kicking them, or making them do things they don't want to do.

Have any of these things happened to you? Have you done any of these things to someone else? Really, bullying is wrong behavior which makes the person being bullied feel afraid or uncomfortable.

2. Why do some people bully?
There are a lot of reasons why some people bully.  They may see it as a way of being popular, or making themselves look tough and in charge. Some bullies do it to get attention or things, or to make other people afraid of them. Others might be jealous of the person they are bullying. They may be being bullied themselves.

Some bullies may not even understand how wrong their behavior is and how it makes the person being bullied feel.

3. Why are some young people bullied?
Some young people are bullied for no particular reason, but sometimes it's because they are different in some way - perhaps it's the colour. of their skin, the way they talk, their size or their name.

Sometimes young people are bullied because they look like they won't stand up for themselves.

4. Why is bullying harmful?
Some people think bullying is just part of growing up and a way for young people to learn to stick up for themselves. But bullying can make young people feel lonely, unhappy and frightened. It makes them feel unsafe and think there must be something wrong with them. They lose confidence and may not want to go to school any more. It may make them sick.

5. What can you do if you are being bullied?
Coping with bullying can be difficult, but remember, you are not the problem, the bully is. You have a right to feel safe and secure.  And if you're different in some way, be proud of it!  Spend time with your friends - bullies hardly ever pick on people if they're with others in a group.

You've probably already tried ignoring the bully, telling them to stop and walk away whenever the bullying starts. If someone is bullying you, you should always tell an adult you can trust. This isn't telling tales. You have a right to be safe and adults can do things to get the bullying stopped.

Even if you think you've solved the problem on your own, tell an adult anyway, in case it happens again.  An adult you can trust might be a teacher, school principal, parent, someone from your family or a friend's parent. If you find it difficult to talk about being bullied, you might find it easier to write down what's been happening to you and give it to an adult you trust.

6. What can you do if you see someone else being bullied?
If you see someone else being bullied you should always try to stop it. If you do nothing, you're saying that bullying is okay with you.  It's always best to treat others the way you would like to be treated. You should show the bully that you think what they're doing is stupid and mean. Help the person being bullied to tell an adult they can trust.

7. Are you a bully?
Have you ever bullied someone else? It could even be someone close to you like your brother or sister. Think about why you did it and how you were feeling at the time. If you are sometimes a bully, try to find other ways to make yourself feel good.

Most bullies aren't liked, even if it starts out that way. Remember, it's best to treat others the way you would like to be treated.

WHAT MAKES A BULLY

Discuss with the Cubs what they think makes a bully.  Try to see their life through your own eyes. Realize that a bully is a "sick" person who they should be sorry for.
- He is angry. Someone might have bullied him in the past.
- He has a low self-esteem. He thinks controlling you will help him feel better about himself.
- He might have been exposed to a lot of violence in the media. (TV, books...) A lot of movies make violence look cool. But if you look closer, the "good guy" is always cooler!
- His friends, or peers, could be a "bad" influence, talking him into doing things he may, or may not, understand are wrong.
- His parents might have lacked in supervision. They might have been too busy to teach him how wrong it is to hurt others. Or maybe they spoiled him, making him think he can do anything he wants, including bullying!
- Bullies are concerned with their own pleasure and want power over others
- They are willing to use and abuse other people to get what they want
- Bullies find it difficult to see things from someone else's perspective

For Further information visit: Bullying in Schools

April 25, 2005