Upstander Role-Play Cards

Instructions: Read your scenario carefully. In your group, discuss how you would act as an upstander. What would you say or do to help the person being bullied or stop the bullying? Practice your response!

Scenario 1: Verbal Bullying

During lunch, you overhear a group of classmates making fun of another student's new haircut, calling them "ugly" and saying their hair looks like a "bird's nest." The student looks down at their plate, clearly upset.

Scenario 2: Social Bullying

It's recess, and a group of students is playing soccer. When another student tries to join, one of the popular kids shouts, "No way! You're not good enough, and we don't want you on our team." The student walks away looking sad and dejected.

Scenario 3: Physical Bullying

In the hallway between classes, you see an older student intentionally trip a younger student, causing them to drop their books. The older student laughs and walks away, while the younger student struggles to pick up their scattered belongings.

Scenario 4: Cyberbullying

You are scrolling through social media, and you see a mean post about one of your classmates. It's a picture of them looking silly from last year, and people are leaving rude comments. The classmate probably hasn't seen it yet, but it's getting a lot of attention.

Bullying Fact or Fiction?!

Instructions: Listen to the statement your teacher reads. If you think it's a FACT, give a thumbs up! If you think it's FICTION, give a thumbs down! Be ready to explain your answer!

Statements:

1. "Bullying is just a normal part of growing up."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Bullying is never okay and can have serious negative effects on everyone involved. It's a harmful behavior that can and should be stopped.

2. "If someone is being bullied, they should just ignore it and it will go away."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Ignoring bullying often makes it worse or makes the person being bullied feel more alone. It's important to speak up or get help from an adult.

3. "Only strong kids are bullies."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Bullies often use bullying as a way to feel powerful or cover up their own insecurities. Bullying is about power, not physical strength.

4. "Telling an adult about bullying is 'tattling'."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Tattling is trying to get someone in trouble for minor things. Reporting bullying is asking for help to keep yourself or others safe from harm. It's a brave and responsible thing to do.

5. "Cyberbullying isn't as bad as in-person bullying because it's not physical."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Cyberbullying can be just as, if not more, damaging than in-person bullying because it can happen 24/7, spread quickly, and be seen by many people. It can cause serious emotional harm.

6. "Most bullying happens at school."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FACT - While bullying can happen anywhere, school is a common place for it due to the amount of time students spend together and social dynamics. However, cyberbullying can happen anywhere with internet access.

7. "Bystanders don't have a role in stopping bullying."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Bystanders (or upstanders!) have a powerful role. When bystanders speak up or get help, it can often stop the bullying. Their actions can make a huge difference.

8. "It's okay to laugh when someone else is being bullied, as long as you're not doing the bullying."
   
   
   
   
   Correct Answer: FICTION - Laughing or joining in when someone is being bullied can make the bullying worse and make the person being bullied feel even more isolated and hurt. It sends the message that the bullying is acceptable.

What Would You Do? Discussion Guide

Instructions: Read each scenario aloud to the class. Facilitate a discussion using the guiding questions. Encourage students to share their thoughts and different approaches.

Scenario 1: The Exclusion

Imagine you see a new student trying to join a group playing basketball during recess, but one of the established players says, "You can't play with us, you're not good enough!"

Guiding Questions:

• What kind of bullying is this?
• How do you think the new student feels?
• What could you do as an upstander in this situation?
• Are there different ways to approach this depending on your relationship with the students involved?

Scenario 2: The Mean Texts

You are in a group chat with friends, and someone starts sending mean and embarrassing messages about another classmate who isn't in the chat. They even post a screenshot of an old, funny-looking photo of the classmate.

Guiding Questions:

• Is this bullying? What kind?
• Why is cyberbullying particularly harmful?
• What steps could you take if you saw these messages? Should you respond? If so, how?
• Who could you tell about this?

Scenario 3: The Tripped Books

Walking down the hallway, you see an older student intentionally stick their foot out and trip a younger student, making them fall and scatter their books everywhere. The older student walks off laughing.

Guiding Questions:

• What type of bullying is this?
• What's your immediate reaction?
• What is the most important thing to do for the student who fell?
• When should an adult be involved in a situation like this?

Scenario 4: The Rumor Mill

You hear a rumor spreading around school about a classmate that you know isn't true. People are talking about it in whispers and even joking about it, which makes the classmate look really bad.

Guiding Questions:

• How can rumors be a form of bullying?
• What impact can false rumors have on someone?
• What could you do to help stop the spread of the rumor or support your classmate?
• Is it always necessary to confront the person spreading the rumor directly?