Parent Discussion Guide for “Sticks and Stones”
Ask Your Child After Viewing Sticks and Stones:
1. How did it make you feel when Brenda was being called mean names at the beginning of the puppet show?
2. How did Brenda feel about being called mean names?
3. What did Melody teach Brenda to say to someone who is using mean names?
· Please Stop | I Don’t Like That | Thank-You!
4. What did Melody teach Brenda to do if the person doesn’t stop using mean names?
· Walk Away | Go Tell a Grown-Up
5. How did Brenda feel afterward?
As a parent or caregiver, you can say:
Name calling can hurt. You need to know the right words to say, know how to walk away, and who to get help from when necessary. Responding to name calling by name calling back or fighting only makes things worse. No one deserves to be mistreated or bullied. If bullying happens at school, talk to your teacher or counselor about it immediately. You also need to share about what happened once you get home.
A Special Note For Parents about Bullying :
Bullying is a complex issue that cannot be solved by a single rule or regulation. Our goal is to give you and your child the necessary tools and knowledge to:
1. Prevent bullying before it even happens.
2. Effectively address bullying behaviors as they happen.
3. Report bullying behaviors appropriately.
This show explores how bullying can affect children and their relationships with others. It emphasizes the roles and responsibilities everyone has in stopping bullying in their schools and communities.
According to StopBullying.gov
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- Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
- An Imbalance of Power: kids who bully use their power – such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity – to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
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- Repetition: bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.
· Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things.
– Strategies for handling verbal bullying:
Firmly and politely asking them to stop.
Ignore the antagonizing and respond with a compliment. “Kill ‘em with kindness.”
Simply walk away.
Depending on the circumstances, making a joke can diffuse the situation.
· Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships.
-Strategies for handling social bullying:
Parents reminding their child that they’re not alone.
Speaking with the person engaging in relational bullying to clear up and potential misunderstandings.
· Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions.
-Strategies for handling physical bullying:
Reminder! Most incidences of physical bullying could be considered assault and battery – which is illegal.
Removing yourself from the situation as quickly as possible.
Important note – concerns over physical safety should be treated differently than concerns of non-physical bullying.
· Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets.
-Strategies for handling cyberbullying:
Don’t respond to someone cyberbullying – this is what they want.
Take a screenshot or picture if possible.
Block or ignore the offending user.
Discuss incident with parents or caregivers.
Important note: Regardless of bullying type, it’s important to report incidences of bullying to the appropriate person – such as the school counselor, teacher, etc. A child’s response to a bullying situation is just as important as that child’s support system’s response.
· Report Bullying in Oklahoma: Oklahoma School Security Institute Tipline Report
Answer these 4 questions as best as you can when reporting:
Who was engaged in this behavior and was anyone else present?
What was happening?
Where did it occur?
When did it occur?
