Lesson 10.3: Bullying and Hazing

Overview

This lesson focuses on the impact bullying and hazing can have on young people. Risk factors, prevention, and response to bullying are also discussed.

Learning Targets

  • LO10: Compare and contrast traditional bullying and cyberbullying.
  • LO11: Identify strategies for preventing all forms of bullying.
  • LO12: Describe how victims of bullying can seek help.
  • LO13: Explain how violating laws against cyberbullying may affect one’s future.
  • LO14: Compare and contrast bullying and hazing.
  • LO15: Identify long- and short-term consequences of participating in hazing.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the Journal Question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Open the Lesson 10.3 PowerPoint slides or make copies of the Lesson 10.3 Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 10.3 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Analyzing Influences.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: Do you think teasing someone is the same as bullying? Explain your answer.
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journal or on their “bell ringer” sheet as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 10.3 Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 10.3 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Analyzing Influences

  1. Provide each student with a copy of the Lesson 10.3 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Analyzing Influences. Have students work individually or in pairs.
  2. Ask students to work individually to complete the worksheet.
  3. If appropriate, ask students to share a few of their risks and the category of influence they fall into.
  4. Have students share a few of their positive or negative influences.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing an additional challenge work on the following Thinking Critically task.

What are some ways that a group or team could build cohesion and honor rituals for new members without engaging in hazing? Provide specific examples and explain how they might help a group bond in a healthy and supportive way.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Compare and contrast traditional bullying and cyberbullying?

    Both forms of bullying have similar influences and consequences. Often bullies have been bullied themselves or have been victims of other forms of abuse or violence. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying lead to anxiety, depression, distrust of others, and sleep difficulties. In contrast, traditional bullying is often done in person or face to face, like hitting or shoving someone, whereas cyberbullying is done through technology by starting rumors, saying cruel things, or harming a person’s reputation. Cyberbullying tends to spread more quickly and widely than traditional bullying and can be much more aggressive online because bullies may hide behind their screens and remain anonymous.

  • Describe how victims of bullying can seek help?

    Victims of bullying can speak up and tell an adult, ask the bully to stop, walk away, avoid a confrontation, and stay close to friends and adults.

  • Explain how violating laws against cyberbullying may affect one’s future?

    Cyberbullying is a form of harassment and can be considered a serious crime with potential legal charges and consequences. Cyberbullying someone because of race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion may overlap with discriminatory harassment and civil rights laws. These cases often get prosecuted as harassment and result in fines, community service and jail time. Some cases are considered hate crimes which can result in federal criminal charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Cyberbullying can also be considered a serious federal crime if sexting that involves sexually inappropriate messages or images is involved. This could result in a charge of distributing pornography, which will result in a prison sentence and being registered as a sex offender for life.

  • Compare and contrast bullying and hazing?

    Hazing is similar to bullying except that hazing is done as a ritual to include others in a group, while bullying is done as a way to harm and exclude others.

  • Identify long- and short-term consequences of participating in hazing?

    Hazing consequences can include illness, injury, and even death. People can be suspended or expelled from school and have criminal charges pressed against them. Victims of hazing can also experience anxiety, depression, or other emotional and mental health consequences.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Reach out to a younger kid in your neighborhood or community and teach them about strategies for preventing all forms or bullying and cyberbullying. Teach them what they should do if they are ever bullied.