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Group dynamics to prevent bullying: practical activities for tutors - school bullying
Theory is necessary, but the teacher lives in practice. How can I get my students to get along? How do I include the new child whom no one chooses to play with? Group cohesion is the best antidote to school bullying. A united group that knows and respects each other will not allow violence to thrive. In this article, part of the practical module of our course, we offer you 5 classroom activities proven to foster empathy and inclusion.
Objective: Reflect on how roles and labels ("the nerd", "the klutz", "the class clown") condition our behavior.
Development: The teacher places a sticker on each student's forehead with an adjective (Leader, Ignore me, Laugh at me, Ask me for advice). The students do not know what is written on them. They must interact with each other treating the other according to what their label says. At the end, a reflection is held: How did you feel when you were ignored? How did you feel when they treated you like a leader? It helps to understand the weight of prejudices.
Objective: Visualize that we are all connected and that what happens to one affects everyone.
Development: Seated in a circle, one student takes a ball of yarn, says something positive about a classmate and throws the ball to them (keeping the end of the thread). The next does the same. At the end, a visible "web" is formed that connects the whole class. The teacher tries to cut a thread or move it to demonstrate how tension at one point moves the entire web.
Objective: Understand that "I'm sorry" does not erase the harm caused by verbal or physical bullying.
Development: Each student is given a pristine sheet of paper. They are asked to insult it, crumple it, step on it and ball it up in anger. Then they are asked to apologize to the paper and try to smooth it out again. No matter how hard they try, the wrinkles (scars) remain. It is a very powerful visual metaphor for primary school children.
Objective: Reinforce the self-esteem of potential victims and improve the positive climate.
Development: Each student has a sheet with their name stuck to their back. Everyone walks around the classroom with a pen and must write a positive quality on their classmates' backs. At the end, each one reads their sheet. For many students with low self-esteem, discovering that their classmates value their smile or their help is transformative.
Objective: Generate a safe debate about bullying situations without pointing at anyone in the class.
Development: A short film or clip is shown (e.g. "Wonder", "The Karate Kid", or specific Pixar shorts like "Lou"). The discussion is guided with questions: "What was the victim feeling?", "Why do you think the aggressor acted that way?", "What would you have done if you were the friend who watched?". By talking about third parties, students open up more than if you ask them about their own class.
These tools turn the classroom into a space of psychological safety, where academic learning can flourish because fear has disappeared.
