Lesson Plan
Bully Buster
Students will be able to define bullying, identify different types of bullying, and learn actionable strategies to prevent and respond to bullying incidents.
Bullying can have serious negative impacts on students' well-being and academic performance. This lesson equips students with the knowledge and tools to create a safer, more supportive school environment for themselves and their peers.
Audience
7th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, scenario analysis, and direct instruction.
Materials
Bully Buster Slide Deck, Bully Buster Script, Bully Buster Warm Up, and Bully Buster Cool Down
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Bully Buster Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Read through the Bully Buster Script to ensure a smooth delivery.
- Print copies of the Bully Buster Warm Up and Bully Buster Cool Down activities, if using physical copies, or prepare for digital distribution/display.
- Arrange the classroom to facilitate group discussion, if applicable.
- Ensure projector/display equipment is working for the slide deck.
Step 1
Introduction & Warm Up
5 minutes
- Greet students and introduce the topic of bullying.
- Distribute or display the Bully Buster Warm Up activity.
- Ask students to silently reflect and write their initial thoughts on the prompt.
- Briefly discuss a few responses to gauge prior knowledge and set the stage.
Step 2
Understanding Bullying
10 minutes
- Use the Bully Buster Slide Deck to define bullying and discuss its different forms (physical, verbal, social, cyber).
- Facilitate a brief discussion using prompts from the Bully Buster Script to ensure understanding.
- Present real-life scenarios (without identifying specific students or events) and ask students to identify if bullying is occurring and what type.
Step 3
Strategies for Action
10 minutes
- Continue with the Bully Buster Slide Deck to introduce strategies for preventing and responding to bullying (e.g., 'See Something, Say Something', supporting the target, standing up safely).
- Discuss the importance of empathy and being an ally.
- Engage students in a role-playing activity or a guided discussion on how they would apply these strategies in different scenarios presented in the slide deck or script.
Step 4
Conclusion & Cool Down
5 minutes
- Summarize key takeaways from the lesson.
- Distribute or display the Bully Buster Cool Down activity.
- Ask students to write down one commitment they will make to be a 'Bully Buster' in their school.
- Collect cool-down tickets or ask for volunteers to share their commitments.
Slide Deck
Welcome, Bully Busters!
Let's create a safer school together.
What comes to mind when you hear the word 'bullying'?
Welcome students and introduce the topic. Emphasize that this is a safe space to discuss a serious topic. Ask students to think about what 'bullying' means to them.
What is Bullying, Really?
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
Types of Bullying:
- Physical: Hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping.
- Verbal: Teasing, name-calling, taunting, threats.
- Social/Relational: Spreading rumors, excluding, breaking friendships.
- Cyberbullying: Mean texts, emails, social media posts, spreading rumors online.
Explain that bullying isn't just about physical harm. It comes in many forms. Go through each type with examples. Ask students to share (appropriate) examples if they feel comfortable, or prompt them to think of scenarios.
It's Not Just a Fight
Bullying is different from a normal disagreement or conflict. Key characteristics:
- Repeated behavior: Happens more than once.
- Intent to harm: The bully means to cause distress.
- Power imbalance: The bully has more power (physical, social, etc.) than the target.
Discuss the 'power imbalance' aspect of bullying. It's not just a disagreement. Ask: 'Why is a power imbalance important in the definition of bullying?'
Be a Bully Buster: What Can YOU Do?
Strategies for Students:
- Speak Up (If Safe): Tell the bully to stop, or redirect the situation.
- Support the Target: Offer kindness, include them, help them report.
- Report It: Tell a trusted adult (teacher, parent, counselor).
- Avoid & Ignore: Sometimes, walking away or blocking online is the best first step.
- Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander!
Introduce the 'See Something, Say Something' principle. Emphasize that reporting isn't 'tattling' when someone is being harmed. Discuss how to safely intervene or support someone.
Scenario Time!
Your friend is constantly being left out of group chats and whispered about by a few classmates. They seem really sad and withdrawn.
What would you do as a Bully Buster?
- What kind of bullying is this?
- Which strategies could you use?
- Who would you talk to?
Present a scenario and have students discuss in small groups or as a class what they would do using the strategies learned. Emphasize that there isn't always one 'right' answer, but thoughtful action is key.
Your Power to Make a Difference
Every one of you has the power to make our school a safer, more welcoming place.
Be kind. Be brave. Be a Bully Buster!
Reiterate the main message: everyone has a role in stopping bullying. Encourage students to be mindful of their own actions and how they treat others.
Script
Bully Buster Script
Introduction & Warm Up (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Or good afternoon, depending on when you have me! Today, we're going to tackle a really important topic: bullying. It's something that can affect all of us, directly or indirectly, and our goal today is to become 'Bully Busters' – people who know how to stand up to bullying and create a kinder school."
"To start, I want you to take a moment to yourselves. I have a Warm Up activity for you. Think about what comes to mind when you hear the word 'bullying.' What does it look like? What does it feel like? You can write down keywords, phrases, or even a short sentence. There are no wrong answers here, just your honest thoughts."
(Allow students 2-3 minutes to complete the warm-up. Circulate and observe.)
Teacher: "Alright, let's hear a few thoughts. Who would like to share one thing that came to mind when you thought about bullying?"
(Call on 2-3 students. Affirm their responses and connect them to the general idea of bullying.)
Understanding Bullying (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Great responses. Now, let's get a clear understanding of what bullying truly is. We often hear the word, but it's important to know the official definition. Let's look at our slides."
(Display Slide 2: What is Bullying, Really?)
Teacher: "As you can see, bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. And it's usually repeated over time. This means it's not a one-time thing, and there's often someone trying to exert control over another."
"There are different types of bullying, and it's helpful to recognize them. Let's go through them:
- Physical Bullying: This is what most people think of first – hitting, kicking, pushing. It's direct and usually visible.
- Verbal Bullying: This involves words – teasing, name-calling, taunting, making threats. Words can hurt just as much as physical actions.
- Social or Relational Bullying: This type of bullying tries to hurt someone's reputation or relationships. Spreading rumors, purposefully excluding someone, or telling others not to be friends with someone are examples. This can be very damaging to a person's social life.
- Cyberbullying: This is bullying that happens online, through texts, social media, or emails. It can include sending mean messages, spreading rumors online, or posting embarrassing photos or videos. Cyberbullying can feel particularly relentless because it can happen 24/7."
Teacher: "Can anyone think of a scenario where someone might be experiencing one of these types of bullying? (Prompt: Remember, let's keep it general and not share specific stories about anyone in our school.)"
(Allow 1-2 student responses per type of bullying, guiding them to appropriate examples.)
(Display Slide 3: It's Not Just a Fight)
Teacher: "It's important to remember that not every conflict or disagreement is bullying. We all have arguments with friends or classmates sometimes, and that's a normal part of life. What makes bullying different is a few key things: it's usually repeated, there's an intent to harm, and there's a power imbalance. One person is trying to control or hurt the other, and it keeps happening."
Strategies for Action (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Now that we know what bullying is, let's talk about how to be a 'Bully Buster.' What can we actually DO when we see or experience bullying?"
(Display Slide 4: Be a Bully Buster: What Can YOU Do?)
Teacher: "We have several strategies:
- Speak Up (If Safe): If you feel safe, you can tell the bully to stop. Sometimes, a direct statement can be enough to de-escalate a situation. But your safety comes first.
- Support the Target: If someone is being bullied, you can be a friend. Invite them to join you, offer kind words, or help them report what happened. Being an ally makes a huge difference.
- Report It: This is one of the most powerful things you can do. If you see bullying, or if you are being bullied, tell a trusted adult. That could be me, another teacher, a counselor, a parent, or another adult you trust. Reporting is not tattling when someone is being hurt. It's about getting help and keeping our community safe.
- Avoid & Ignore: Sometimes, especially in cyberbullying, simply walking away from the situation or blocking someone online can be a good first step, if you can't or don't feel safe speaking up.
- Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander! A bystander sees something happen and does nothing. An upstander chooses to act in some way to help. We want to be upstanders!"
(Display Slide 5: Scenario Time!)
Teacher: "Let's try a scenario. Imagine this: Your friend is constantly being left out of group chats and whispered about by a few classmates. They seem really sad and withdrawn. What would you do as a Bully Buster? First, what kind of bullying is this? Second, which strategies could you use? And third, who would you talk to?"
(Give students 2-3 minutes to discuss in small groups or think individually. Then facilitate a class discussion.)
Teacher: "This sounds like social or relational bullying. What strategies did your groups think of?"
(Prompt students to share various ideas, connecting them back to the strategies discussed.)
Conclusion & Cool Down (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Excellent discussions, everyone. Remember, every single one of you has the power to make our school a safer, more welcoming place. It starts with recognizing bullying and choosing to be an upstander."
(Display Slide 6: Your Power to Make a Difference)
Teacher: "Before we finish up, I have a Cool Down activity for you. On this activity, I want you to write down one commitment you will make to be a 'Bully Buster' in our school community. What's one thing you will try to do, starting today, to prevent or respond to bullying?"
(Allow students 2-3 minutes to write their commitments. Collect the cool-down slips as students leave or ask for 1-2 volunteers to share.)
Teacher: "Thank you all for your thoughtful participation today. Let's all commit to being kind, being brave, and being Bully Busters! Have a great rest of your day!"
Warm Up
Bully Buster Warm Up
Instructions: Take a few minutes to silently reflect on the prompt below and write down your thoughts. There are no right or wrong answers.
Prompt:
When you hear the word "bullying," what comes to mind immediately? What does it look, sound, or feel like?
Cool Down
Bully Buster Cool Down
Instructions: Before you leave today, please complete the prompt below.
Prompt:
What is one commitment you will make to be a "Bully Buster" in our school community, starting today?