Bullying+Education

Schools face a big responsibility of providing a safe and supportive environment for all individuals. In conjunction with this, they have a responsibility to educate students about bullying and it affects on a person. //Bullies, Victims & Bystanders// (2007) is a board game created by teacher and behaviour specialist Fintan O’Regan. It is designed for children aged six and up and aims to help children understand bullying and what it may feel like to be bullied. It also encourages bystanders to be proactive when observing an incident of bullying. Games which aim to educate children about bullying, such as this, are more important than ever as avenues such as mobile phones and the internet are making it easier for bullying to occur (Wiseman, n.d. as cited in Junior Scholastic, 2010). Research by Campbell and Missiuna (2011) also highlights the importance of this particalrly in schools where children with disabilities are present claiming that although many children may face bullying in their life, children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to being targets of repeated aggression from peers.
 * __BULLIES, VICTIMS & BYSTANDERS BOARD GAME __**

There are a couple of ways this board game could be used. It could be incorporated into a lesson which is based on bullying and all students could have a turn at playing it. The teacher could then have a discussion about the game and how people feel about bullying after playing it. For all students, particularly for students with disabilities, I would use the game to help them differentiate between what is and is not an appropriate response to bullying. I would perhaps even consider spending time looking specifically at the ‘victims’ cards to establish positive and negative ways of responding to bullying. Alternatively, it could be used to assist with resolving incidents of bullying. In this case, students who have partaken in an incident of bullying could play it in an attempt to get them to understand what it may feel like to be bullied.

Expected outcomes for incorporating this game into a lesson involve a greater understanding of what bullying is, the affects it can have, and that bystanders should be proactive if witnessing an incident of bullying. With this new level of understanding, it is expected that students would then not partake in acts of bullying or if they witnessed an incident, they would be proactive in doing something. It is also expected that students would have some understanding of what it may feel like to be bullied, when playing this game. Thus, outcomes such as a safer classroom and school environment, and students feeling safer and happier about being at school can also be expected. **References: ** Campbell, W., & Missiuna, C. (2011). //Bullying risk in children with disabilities: A review of the literature.// Retrieved from []

Junior Scholastic (2010). //Cyberbullying: technology is making bullying easier to do, and harder to escape.// Retrieved from [] Melissa Yap (u3041657)