Bullying and Ostracism
Path Creator: Lefstein-Berusch
This path is a collection of articles, resources, strategies, and research on the issue of bullying and ostracism. Many of these links can be used in the classroom, but some are for teachers to use to find out more about this complex topic.
The case study of a real-life episode of ostracism among a group of middle school girls. You can read the background, read or listen to the participants' stories, and listen to experts' views on what happened.
This link will take you to a set of model lessons for teaching the bullying and ostracism case study.
This link will take you to a collection of recent articles and/or videos in the news on the topic of bullying and ostracism. These pieces are great for student reflection in journals or discussions. They can compare some of these stories to what is happening in their own communities. Check back occasionally for updates.
This ten minute animated film tells the grim story of the Hangman, who is able to murder everyone in town because all of the citizens are bystanders. A very powerful way to have students discuss the role of bystander behavior. The Latin inscription on the courthouse mean, "You who have been warned, seek justice."
In this video, Eve Shalen discusses the experience of being ostracized in high school. Her story is helpful in dealing with complexity of this issue.
This Boston Globe article laments the fact that most bullying prevention programs have been shown to be ineffective. It goes on to discuss one model for intervention which focuses on the role of bystanders.
Article analyzes four school-based bullying prevention programs
This article reviews many school-based bullying prevention program and concludes that most are ineffective. The authors contend that any effective program will have to deal with the entire social context within which bullying occurs -- school, parents, family, neighborhood, and culture.
A link to a new bullying prevention program in Finland, KiVa. KiVa focuses on the role of the bystander in preventing bullying behavior.
