My friend http://www.facebook.com/jody.richards.96 has looked at some of my posts on object lessons via my web site and she asked that I touch upon the subject of bullying. I am currently in the process of structuring several lessons on this topic by touching upon the theme from different perspectives. Some of these will come into fruition as I find an appropriate object lesson and also to do more homework on the topic. I hope this lesson might be useful to schools, ministries, family and home devotionals as well as family home evenings.

In my early research I’ve learned there is a misconception that often bullies are what they are because of low confidence. Sometimes it is the actual opposite where a bully senses a high level of power and bullying is a way to flaunt it.

So my first approach is that a lesson needs to be catered very specific to the individual who is the bully. I would think one needs to learn about the bullies likes and dislikes because in this lesson’s examples of non-bullies will reference people the current bully respects. This may be sports figures, historical figures, professionals or real people in that person’s life. More on this later, let’s touch upon an object lesson.

Start playing a game of pickup-sticks where each person takes turns inserting sticks on a platform and not drop any of the current sticks on the stack. Blocks or magnet mounds like stars and moons might be an alternative. The task is to stack items that require precision and the support of the previous sticks which contributes to holding up the new additions. As sticks are being added, this would be a good time to talk about individual sticks. This might work well for a younger child.

Each stick might be given name and you talk about that person’s personality, their strengths and weakness. Maybe Phil doesn’t talk much because he is shy but he might be very good a drawing or good at math. Michelle might not be good at sports but is good at singing. The challenge is for someone who is in power; they might overlook a person’s hidden abilities to flaunt a trait that is not as successful. This is where we bring up the concept of legacy. We now start talking about things that have a reputation throughout history or someone that the bully respects that is known for having accomplished something. This is that hero’s legacy.

You might want to briefly talk about the stages of development of the hero such as trial and error and error and error to finally get success. Maybe the hero goes through more error and finally meets success, success, success. During this process the hero has vulnerable times, moments where they stand at the edge of success or failure. Their pedicle of success might be at the time period where the bully is interacting with future heroes.

As you stack sticks successfully also have a dialog on how the collection of sticks by their precise location contributes to the unity and support of the whole mound. Now start taking certain sticks out until you find one that crumbles the entire stack. This could be the result of a bully discouraging a possible hero who is still in their development stage. Some heroes become what they are because of team work or partnerships. Instead of tormenting someone one discuss how if the bully is feeling confident about themselves, could they build up others? Expand on this by discussing what they are good at. Others may want to be like him or her because of their skills and personality not because they are mean.

Maybe discuss scenarios where a group of people in a common cause accomplished great feats because of teamwork and a common goal. For me an example of this is the men that helped structure the creation of the United States. They each had distinct personalities and objectives and they had to learn to corporate to have success as a whole. Their combined work helped in building a new nation.

Find a specific example of a person the bully respects and do some homework on their life where you can find out how they accomplished their successes. Maybe discuss possible pretend scenarios how possible friends of this bully’s hero was ‘helped’ that along the way with encouragement to be a success. Have the bully discuss what some of the possible challenges were that could have happened in that heroes life that the neither of you know about. Discuss how a friend’s support encouraged the hero to fight the good fight instead of the bully discouraging that person and they hero never becomes a hero at all.

Many accomplished people will tell how their success was heavily influence by a specific person. If you can find an example of this from a person that the bully respects that discuss what it would be like if that hero mentioned the bully’s name specifically of making such a big impression on the hero’s life. Maybe guess who might be friends of the hero and why they are that hero’s friend. One reason could be because he or she encouraged the hero and didn’t taunt or bully him or her.

Discuss scenarios of positive influence. Discuss scenarios of how one can be popular in school and do it in a kind way.

Anyway this is the first shot of addressing bullying. We’ll see how the other approaches develop.

http://news.discovery.com/human/bullying-phoebe-prince-teens.html
http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/08/do-popular-kids-bully-more/