It's My Life . Parents/Teachers . Bullies . Printable Discussion Questions

IML Quick Discussion Guide: Bullies

Prior to using this Quick Discussion Guide, you and your child may want to do any or all of the following activities on "It's My Life":

Read the "Practical Guide to Bullies" article
Play "Beat The Bully" once or multiple times
Work together to come up with a submission for "You Said It!: Bullies"
Print out the IML Journal pages "Bullies" and "A Pep Talk for Myself". Complete them together or encourage your child to complete them on his/her own.

Discussion Questions:

What's your definition of bullying?
Have you been bullied recently? How did you feel at the time? How have you felt since then?
What do you think should be done about it? What's already been tried? What worked, and what didn't?
Did you see someone being bullied? How do you think they felt? What are some words to describe what they might be feeling? Would you have felt the same way if it were happening to you?
Let's think of things to say to someone in different bullying situations. (Possible situations: name-calling, threatening physical harm, taking something that belongs to them.) Let's think of things to say to a bully if you see them hurting someone else. (Responses should be firm, even, and assertive. Examples: "No", "Stop It", "That's not funny", etc.)
What can we do to change the way the school/community deals with bullying?

Remember:
--Let your child know that you understand how "verbal" and "relationship" bullying can be just as harmful as physical bullying.

--Avoid the tendency to give advice such as "Don't worry about it", "Don't let it get to you", or "Give her a taste of her own medicine".

--Talk about your own experiences with bullying, both as a child and as an adult. This de-stigmatizes the subject and assures your child that you understand where they're coming from.

Did You Know?
Statistics from the Bureau of Justice - School Crime and Safety

1 out of 4 kids is bullied
1 our of 5 kids admits to being a bully or doing some "bullying"
43% are afraid of being harassed in a school bathroom
80% of the time, an argument with a bully will result in a physical fight
On playgrounds, a child is bullied every 7 minutes. Adults intervene only 4% of the time. Peers intervene 11% of the time, and 85% of the time there is no intervention at all.