Dealing with Bullies (and No One Gets Hurt)

Gr 4—6—Hosted by a middle school girl, four different bullying scenarios are discussed with classmates on her blog. In "Don't Get Physical," a victim physically attacks the individual who is bullying him, something viewers are cautioned not to do. The two boys who are fighting seem to have trouble keeping a straight face. A bullying victim disregards verbal taunts from a classmate who eventually stops picking on her in "Ignore It." In "Controlling Anger," a cyberbullying victim finally confronts a classmate who has been constantly sending her inappropriate text messages and orders her to stop, which she does. The outcome of this scenario is somewhat unrealistic. In the final segment, "Don't Be a Bystander," an onlooker intervenes on behalf of a bullying victim. Since most victims are reluctant to report bullying to adults, it's appropriate that only at the end of the program are viewers told to ask an adult for help. The strong point of this DVD is that it gives students strategies to stop bullying on their own, instead of relying on adults. Human Relations Media has a number of more effective programs that also include lesson plans, reproducible handouts, etc.—David Bilmes, Schaghticoke Middle School, New Milford, CT