© 2016 Drama by George LLC. Permission granted to reproduce this page for classroom use only within school buildings which have hosted a presentation of Stop Bullies during the current academic year.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. Why do teens make fun of people who are “different”?

During his presentation, George showed a very “dorky” picture of himself. He shared some of the cruel things his classmates used to say about him because of his appearance. Why do you think teens pick on peers who look or act differently from them? Have you ever been bullied for being “different”? How did it make you feel?

2. Can verbal bullying hurt worse than physical bullying?George argued that sometimes, bullies who use words to abuse others can cause even more harm than bullies who hurt people physically. That’s because verbal bullying can hurt over and over again, every time you think about the insults. Do you agree with George that cruelty with words is the worst kind of bullying? Why or why not?

3. Have you ever played the game of “Better Than”?Bullying often happens when we want to prove we’re somehow better than other people. For example, if we’re good at football, we might point out someone else’s lack of athletic ability. If we get good grades, we might point out someone else’s D or F on a test. Has someone ever tried to prove she’s better than you by belittling your abilities? Have you ever done it to someone else?

4. Do you have a “hot button”?Is there something about yourself that you’re extra-sensitive about, so that whenever someone mentions it, you immediately feel hurt? (Maybe you don’t like your hair, or your acne, or your learning disability.) George told us that his “hot button” is scoliosis, the birth defect that makes his neck crooked. Whenever someone brings it up, even if they don’t mean any harm, it still causes George a twinge of pain. You don’t have to tell us what your “hot button” is, but how do you feel when someone makes fun of you for it? Do you think you’ve ever made fun of someone else for their “hot button” without realizing it? How can you make sure that you don’t inadvertently hit someone else’s “hot button” in the future?

5. What bullying prevention strategy would you try?George mentioned several things that he could have done to defend himself against Raul when Raul was pushing him around. He could have (a) told Raul to stop, (b) walked away from the situation, (c) told an adult, or (d) hung out with his real friends. However, he felt like none of those strategies would work because Raul had him trapped. If you were being bullied, would you try one of those strategies? Do you think it would work? (Note: Be sure students understand that fighting back physically is not an acceptable response. They’re likely to get in just as much trouble as the bully—as the old saying goes, “two wrongs don’t make a right.”)

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© 2016 Drama by George LLC. Permission granted to reproduce this page for classroom use only within school buildings which have hosted a presentation of Stop Bullies during the current academic year.

6. Have you learned from your mistakes?Raul apparently learned a lesson about bullying after he was suspended, because he never bothered George again. Have you ever been mean or insensitive to someone and regretted it later? Have you learned from your mistake like Raul did? (In other words, has that experience changed the way you treat other students?)

7. Why is bullying so hard to forget?George said that his life has been much better since he finished school, because bullying doesn’t usually continue into adult life. Why do you think bullies often reform as they grow older? On the other hand, George also said that bullying often leaves scars that last for a long time. Why do you think bullying is so difficult to forget?

8. How will you help someone who’s being bullied?George was “rescued” from Raul when another student told the principal what had happened. If you see bullying happen today at our school, do you think you’ll have the courage to get help for the victim? What will you do to assist her? Here’s one important tip: Bullies often pick on teens who are left by themselves. That means often, the most important things you can to prevent bullying is to include a new person in your circle of friends. Please don’t give us the person’s name, but take a moment to think of someone you know that could use a friend. How will you reach out to her today?

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES1. Write a letter.

George loves mail! If you’d like, you can assign your students to write him short letters explaining what they learned from Stop Bullies. George can’t reply to individual students, but he will reply to the class (or school) as a whole if he receives the letters within 30 days of your program. If you’d like a response to your letters, be sure to include your school’s address, and tell George to whom the group reply should be directed (for example, “Mr. Smith’s 3rd Period Health Class”). Send your letters to: Drama by George 1236 Lexington Road, Suite 102 Louisville, KY 40204-1164

2. Write a short story.Have your students write a short, realistic fiction piece about bullying. The story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning should include a scene where we meet the characters (at minimum, a bully and her victim) and the bullying takes place. The middle should include at least two different strategies that the victim tries using to make the bully stop. The ending is where we find out if the strategies worked: Does the bully stop picking on her victim? The story doesn’t necessarily need to have a happy ending, but the victim must try legitimate strategies (like those shown on the poster on page 4) to try and stop the bully. Remind your students that violence may not be presented as the solution to bullying! Otherwise, middle schoolers are likely to submit some very inappropriate narratives.

3. Make a poster.Assign your students to create bullying prevention posters with the theme “STOP BULLIES.” The poster should include one of the strategies for bullying prevention that is included on our preprinted poster (see page 4). Display the students’ posters on a bulletin board, or better yet, hang them in various locations in your school’s hallways.

4. Create an improvised play.Students can act out brief scenarios about bullying. Each mini-play should be structured in the same way as the

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© 2016 Drama by George LLC. Permission granted to reproduce this page for classroom use only within school buildings which have hosted a presentation of Stop Bullies during the current academic year.

short story assignment, with a beginning, a middle, and an end (see activity 2 above). Teens can perform their finished plays for the class after rehearsing them. Have them create plays that are no more than two scenes long. (Without that admonition, students tend to create overly complex pieces with numerous scene changes.) Before the performances begin, remind everyone to face the audience and speak loudly!

5. Research cyberbullying.One especially insidious form of peer-on-peer cruelty, cyberbullying, didn’t exist in previous generations. But it’s now a major problem in middle schools, high schools, and even colleges. Divide your students into small groups to research cyberbullying and present their findings to the class in five-minute presentations. Presentations should include (1) a brief definition of cyberbullying, (2) examples of what it looks like, and (3) some strategies that are recommended by experts to stop cyberbullies.

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www.dramabygeorge.com | (502) 718-5090Character-Building Theatre for All Ages

1. Tell the bully to stop.The bully may not realize she’s hurting your feelings. Firmly tell her that you don’t like what she’s doing and she needs to stop.

2. Ignore insults and walk away.If you can, physically remove yourself from the situation. Nothing good will come out of remaining in the bully’s presence.

3. Tell an adult.Getting adult help is not tattling. It’s protecting yourself from an emotionally or physically dangerous situation.

4. Hang out with your real friends.

Bullies often pick on students who are alone. Protect yourself by finding people who genuinely care about you — and who prove it by never being bullies.

4© 2016 Drama by George LLC. Permission granted to reproduce this page for classroom use only within school buildings which have hosted a presentation of Stop Bullies during the current academic year.