Beyond Bullying Prevention Month: Integrating bullying prevention throughout the classroom, all year long!

photo credit:Jerry Lai

​October is National Bullying Prevention Month, which means that bullying is a topic T.V shows, magazines, and organizations will be talking about regularly. Schools will have units on bullying prevention and people will participate in runs and walks to raise awareness about the issue. All October, bullying will be on everyone’s minds. This is wonderful! But what happens when October comes to an end?

​When the organized festivities stop, does bullying also stop? Sadly, this is not the case. Yet, too often, we hold our bullying prevention assemblies and then move on to math classes, vocabulary tests, and science experiments while the topic of bullying is pushed to the back burner. Many teachers recognize this problem, but are unsure of a solution when there is so much other material that must be covered throughout the school year. But what makes us think we have to choose one or the other? The truth is there are myriad ways to integrate lessons on bullying and bullying prevention directly into other academic lessons already being taught. With a bit of creativity, in fact, this integration can even improve those lessons!

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 Integrating bullying prevention into other subject matter helps students to see the real-world application of the lessons they are learning.

Math may seem intangible, but the idea of 1 in 3 students being bullied daily is a reality that children can see.

This integration also helps children to see that bullying prevention isn’t just a slogan or something trite they are forced to listen to in school. Bullying is about human relations and this does not end in school, nor do the effects of bullying. By integrating these lessons throughout the classroom, we show that this is a vital topic that can affect every part of life.

​To give you some inspiration, here are some ideas for integrating bullying prevention education throughout the classroom. These ideas can be scaled up or down to work with children of all ages: 

​Art

photo credit: Ruth Hartnup

Art is probably one of the first subjects that comes to mind when trying to integrate bullying prevention. Art can be expressive, therapeutic, or socially active, and from painting to acting to drawing, there is something for everyone. Here are a few ideas for integrating bullying prevention into your art class:

• Have students draw or paint various bullying situations. The situations can be real or imagined. Encourage the use of colors to represent feelings and tone. Later, discuss what is happening in each picture, why it might be happening, and what can be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
• Have students draw or paint how bullying makes them feel. Again, encourage the use of colors to help represent those feelings.
•  Create visual representations of the words spoken in bullying situations and words that can combat bullying. Help students see that words can be just as powerful as physical actions.
• Draw or paint what might be going on inside the mind of the bully or the bullied. Discuss what can be done to change the picture.
• Create bullying awareness posters. The posters can have statistics, words of encouragement, drawings, etc. Have students discuss what they want their posters to accomplish and how they think the words and pictures in the posters will help them to accomplish this goal.
• As a class, make a video to educate others on bullying and bullying prevention.
• Make a video celebrating the differences of individuals in the class.
• Tie-dye orange shirts for Unity Day.
• Recreate famous works of art that have helped people be more understanding and tolerant or made a difference.

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Language Arts

photo credit: Kamilla Oliveira

Words have such incredible power for expression, making Language Arts another perfect subject for integration. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Practice creative writing by having students create stories centered around bullying and bullying prevention. Encourage them to explore what it is like to be a bully, to be bullied, what it might be like to live in a different culture, and different ways to combat bullying.
• Read books that explore bullying and have students write extensions of the story, such as writing from the perspective of another character or creating an alternate ending.
• Introduce and discuss vocabulary words like norms, bully, stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, tolerance, empathy.
• Have students write reports on one another to help them see what life is like from the perspective of another. As students hear reports about their own classmates, they will learn that they have more commonalities than differences.
• Write and act out various bullying situations. Go all out and make a full production with props, backdrops, and an audience to teach about bullying prevention.
• Act out scenes from a book that deals with bullying

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​Math

photo credit: Gil Abrantes

Math may seem far removed from bullying, however it is a very helpful tool to help us understand the true effects of bullying. Here are some ways to integrate math and bullying prevention:

• Gather and report statistics on bullying.
• Plot out your findings.
• Create diagrams on what type of people are bullied, who bullies, and how bullying has changed throughout the years.

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​Science

photo credit: incidencematrix

Science helps us make sense of the world around us, making it a perfect subject to integrate with bullying prevention education.

• Mix up some slime to demonstrate how bullying can stick with people while also teaching about chemical reactions, principles of matter, and color mixing.  Our slime craft was created to accompany the reading of the picture book This is A. Blob and actually teaches several scientific principles. Read the full blog to learn how you can use this craft in your classroom.
• Research and discuss the effects of bullying on the body. This can also be used in a health lesson.
• Practice conducting research by studying where bullying occurs in the school, who it happens to, and who bullies.

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​Music

photo credit: Kiera Chan

 Music is a powerful tool for expression and change:

• Listen to songs that express what it’s like to be bullied or to be a bully
• Listen to songs that are encouraging and uplifting
• Talk about songs that have changed the world for the better and have students write their own songs to encourage others, raise awareness about bullying, or help bring bullying to an end.
• Have students use instruments to express how bullying makes them feel or how they think the bully may be feeling on the inside.
• Explore the music of different cultures and explain how these varieties influence one another and make the world of music more exciting.

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​Community and Leadership

Photo found on Pacer.org/bullying

Civil engagement is important and should be taught at an early age. Here are some ways to build leadership skills and teach about community involvement while also teaching bullying prevention:

• Guide students in organizing a bullying prevention assembly or awareness day.
• Guide students in organizing a fundraiser to raise money for bullying prevention organizations. Research and choose a worthwhile organization as a class.
• Create a bullying prevention policy as a class. Meet with other classes to discuss their policies and note any differences. Discuss how different cultures may have different standards and perspectives. Together with other classes, come up with some universal standards. Allowing students to play an active role in bullying prevention is crucial. Not only do they know best what they are dealing with and what they are feeling, they are more likely to follow standards they had a hand in creating.

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Social Studies/History

Photo credit: Sarah Joy, joybot

 This is another subject with nearly endless possibilities. Below are just a few ideas of many:

• As the class learns about stereotypes and prejudices in history, make the connection to stereotypes and prejudices in school. Remind students that bullying behavior can occur outside of the classroom and such mindsets have led to world wars and tragedies. From the arrival of the Puritans to the Civil Rights Movement, there are countless opportunities to show children what can happen when bullying and prejudice is allowed to continue.
• Discuss how our biases and prejudices changed over the years and why those changes have occurred.
• Discuss people in history who could be called upstanders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Talk about why we admire them, where they drew their courage, and how we can follow their example today.
• Highlight historic figures that used their differences to make a difference in the world (this can also be in every subject-mathematicians, programmers, artists, etc). 

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Research

photo credit: Frederick Lang Jr.

Investigate and report on different types of bullying, causes, effects, etc, and report it to the class. This can be used in any subject. Take this opportunity to highlight the importance of seeking out information for one’s self rather than simply believing what one hears or is told. Encourage students to seek out the truth rather than spreading rumors. 


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Lunch and Recess

photo credit: Heather Temske

Extend the lessons beyond the regular classroom and encourage students to sit with someone new at lunch or learn someone else’s game at recess. Learn games from other cultures and show students how different can be fun and make life more interesting.
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​I hope these ideas inspired you to integrate bullying prevention education throughout your classroom all year long! Bullying isn’t just something that happens in school and it isn’t something that just happens to children. Bullying can happen anywhere at any time and at any age. By boxing bullying prevention into a single day or a single lesson, we are being unrealistic and doing our children a disservice. Instead, let’s continue this vital lesson throughout the year and connect it to real people and experiences. Rather than just teaching our children about the world, let’s also teach them to change it. 

Which of these ideas do you like the most? Do you have any special ways of integrating bullying prevention into your classroom this year? Let us know in the comments!

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Looking for a good book to integrate bullying prevention into your classroom? Check out This is A. BlobThis is A. Blob, by L.A. Kefalos! 

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This is A. Blob is a masterfully illustrated picture book suitable for children ages 4-8. Written by L.A. Kefalos, author of several animated shorts, including “Who’s that Knocking,” “Chug,” and “Croc, Pots and Wildebeests,” which was nominated for Best Independent Short Short, Ages 5-8, at the 2009 Kid’s First Film Festival and for best short at The Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, This is A. Blob is the first of a series following this bully. This first installment follows the antics of A. Blob, a slimy, purple, blob-like creature who wreaks havoc on the elementary school playground with its bullying ways. As the story progresses, however, readers learn that A. Blob may have more to it than meets the eye. Along with its powerful illustrations and rhymed verse for early readers, this story invites children to put themselves in the shoes of another. The book encourages readers to consider why bullies behave the way they do – and start to consider what can be done to help

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​​BOOK 2 NOW AVAILABLE!​
A. Blob is back, and this time it's on a bus! As the slimy bully pokes and pesters the children of Lincoln Elementary School, it seems like they will never be able to ride the bus in peace. That is, until one brave girl takes stand. 

Can one act of bravery change everything--including A. Blob? Find out in this second installment of The Blob Series!