Confessions of a Bully

Gr 7 Up—Taking a different perspective than most bullying videos, this program describes actual events in the lives of three perpetrators. The information provided by the bullies is not new, but since it is delivered in the first person, it becomes more powerful. First, John describes picking out another student as an easy target, seeing that person as an object, and noticing a lack of support for the victim. He defends himself as one who had been bullied and who also wanted to learn what it was like to have power over someone. He says that at the time he was unable to empathize, and he now regrets his actions. Bully number two, Ebony, could be described as a "mean girl." She enjoyed having a higher status than other girls, and she started rumors about a girl who was dating her ex-boyfriend, ruining her replacement's reputation. Ebony states that her bullying stems from her own insecurity. Being confronted about her behavior helped her to realize what she had done. In the third scenario, Tyler and Scott are involved in relational bullying within a group ganging up on a member's girlfriend to make their friend drop her, and they did nothing to stop it. When the two realized what they had done, they resolved to change. They now travel around the country talking about bullying to teens. These three situations are also discussed by a psychologist, who provides some definitions and background. The teacher's guide includes learning standards, activities, and fact sheets.—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University