Student Workshop: Gossiping, Taunting, Bullying--It's All Harassment

They are, unfortunately, all-too-familiar scenes: the new girl at school is the victim of nasty rumors; the smaller boy with glasses gets pushed around in the bathroom; teams playing basketball exchange withering insults. In this candid video, dramatic vignettes are used as a jumping off point for an open discussion in a California middle school classroom about the problem of persistent, unwanted harassment, and strategies for stopping it. Facilitated by the school's guidance counselor, the discussion features real kids talking about the effects of being picked on, lied about, or physically assaulted by their peers. The reenactments, which begin as open-ended but end on a positive note, are well acted and realistic, and the overall effect of kids talking to kids tends to be more effective than an “adult lecture.” Too, the strategies presented for coping (assertiveness, humor, and, if all else fails, as a last resort seeking adult help) are solid, and the accompanying curriculum includes useful exercises. Recommended. Aud: I, J, H. (E. Gieschen)