As part of National Anti Bullying Week 19th – 23rd November 2012 we held an Anti Bullying Workshop with the Primary 7 classes. This was an intensive, whole morning session with follow up activities planned to consolidate what was learned. The workshop was part of a schoolwide Friendship Week, involving all classes.

The aims of the workshop were shared with the children –

At some point in your life you will be involved with bullying – either directly or indirectly. This workshop aims to give you

• important information about bullying
• skills to identify a situation where bullying is taking place
• strategies to cope with bullying
• positive communication techniques to use in a range of relationships

During the workshop you will be

• asked questions to encourage you to think about a specific issues
• working in pairs and small groups to share your thoughts and to listen to the view of others
• taking part in role play to ‘experience’ some of the issues discussed
• watching performances from other groups of children and to reflect on their views
• taking notes to remind you of key information
• sharing your thoughts
• contributing to the school

and

helping the school community at Glebelands to create a ‘zero tolerance zone’ for bullying

The children were each given a workbook which explained the aims, Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for the workshop. It included key questions for the children to answer and gave them space to record their own personal thoughts and feelings as the morning progressed.

At the end of the workshop each group of children (4) wrote a Code of Conduct which they felt the children of Glebelands should follow, linked to bullying. A member of each group then presented the Head Teacher with their ideas. She was impressed by many of the suggestions and hoped to include the key ideas in a schoolwide anti bullying policy.

During the workshop the children watched some excellent short films based on real life examples of verbal, physical and cyber bullying, some of which were written and produced by scottish high school children. The children then reflected on what they had seen in pairs and in small groups.

The children also took an active part in role play exercises where they experienced, for a short time, what it was like to be ‘a bully’, ‘a victim’ and ‘a watcher’. This was an eye opener to many of the childre as they hadn’t previousy considered the complexity of emotions that each person can face. They then extended their thoughts to the emotions of parents and other friends and family involved in a bullying scenario. Many more people are affected by bullying than the children initially thought.

Finally each group was asked to come up with their own mini drama showing a bullying scenario of their chosing. Each group produced excellent work in a short space of time. At the end of each groups production other members of the class were encouraged to make suggestions of how to change the course of events so that the end was a positive reflection on resorative practice.

Throughout the workshop there were references to positive commuication skills and how to defuse situations. The children promised to try some of these techniques out and report back, watch this space!

Student Comments

As the workshop was written and presented by adults the P7’s are keen to find out what other students of a similar age think about the subject of bullying. They have come up with a list of questions and comments that they are hoping their peers in other schools will respond to in the comment box below.

Do you have any bullies in your school?    Erin

Why do some people bully others?      Seykat

What happens when you are bullied?     Shubho

Have you ever been physically or mentally bullied?       Jack, Lewis

How can we prevent bullying getting worse?    Logan

Have you ever been bullied by people you don’t know?     Rhaigan

Please respond to these questions.

P7 suggested a Code of Conduct for children at Glebelands

• Don’t bully
• If you see bullying tell someone – a teacher, another member of staff, your parents/carers
• Don’t bring items or valuables into school that cause fights
• If you don’t tell anyone about bullying your friend should tell
• Don’t video or take pictures of fights or bullying
• Primary 7’s can act to ‘police’ the playground and to explain to younger children how to avoid bullying
• Don’t join in if you see someone being bullied

The Primary 7’s would like the School to

• have sticky notes so that bullying can be reported easily and quickly
• sometimes have teachers in the playground
• have after school detention for bullies
• phone parents and/or have meetings in school with the parents of bullies

The P7’s devised these points in house groups. No adults were leading or taking part in the discussion. Each group agreed the points then wrote them down. One person from each group presented their ideas to the Head Teacher.