The introduction to the project should focus on what bullying is and what it is not. Bullying can be defined as direct or indirect, depending on the behaviors being shown. Direct bullying includes behaviors such as hitting, punching, verbal threats or name calling and shootings. Indirect bullying includes rejection, being humiliated in front of others or manipulative behaviors. A clear definition of bullying will help students understand these behaviors when they see them.
Role play can be a powerful tool in helping students to understand the impact of bullying. Create scenarios as part of the project and have students act out the incident, taking turns being the bully and the victim. Ask the students to elaborate on how they felt in each role and how they think the other person felt. This type of exercise as part of a project on school bullying can help students to develop empathy or speak up when they notice someone else being bullied.
Use the role play scenarios you created to make an anti-bullying video. This video can be shown to students at a school assembly or to parents during a parent-teacher night. You might want to interview the students before and after the video is made to see how their attitudes toward bullying have changed and let them talk about what they have learned. This can be a powerful message for bullies, victims, other students and parents to hear.
End your school project on bullying with a discussion of the consequences that can occur due to bullying. Discuss the fact that victims suffer from negative emotions, such as sadness or anxiety, and may even end up with depression due to bullying. Talk about the fear victims feel and the extreme situations of suicide or homicide due to feeling isolated and helpless. Discuss consequences for the bully, such as living a life of crime, receiving fines if arrested or social isolation due to negative behaviors. Be sure to include consequences for those who stand by and watch bullying occur without intervening, such as fear of bullying themselves, guilt over not helping or becoming numb to bullying behaviors. Talk about way to avoid and stop bullying, such as talking to a trusted adult or calling the police in extreme situations.