10.6K
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 19% of students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported being bullied during school. With so much time spent at school, the classroom is a pivotal space for shaping social interactions and behaviors among students, and for teaching them about respect, empathy, and understanding.
Whether you’re thinking about what to do for National Bullying Prevention Month in October or you want to proactively address this topic with your students, there are plenty of helpful bullying prevention activities for every age. Fit one or more of these anti-bullying activities into your weekly lessons to promote a culture of kindness and inclusion.
1. Hold an in-depth class discussion on bullying
What, exactly, is bullying? One of the best ways to combat bullying is to educate students on what it is, what it is not, how they can deal with bullying, and how they can help prevent it. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) defines bullying as:
“The repeated actions or threats of action directed toward a person by one or more people who have or are perceived to have more power or status than their target in order to cause fear, distress or harm. Bullying can be physical, verbal, psychological or any combination of these three.”
Have students get together in pairs or small groups to discuss different aspects of bullying and bullying prevention, including:
- What bullying is and is not
- What the different types of bullying are
- The impact that bullying can have on someone
- How to reach out for help
- How to best support someone who is being bullied while staying safe
Anti-Bullying PP Presentation with Activities and Posters for 1st and 2nd Grade
By A Cloud Full of Learning
Grades: 1st-2nd
This PowerPoint presentation introduces the topic of bullying, encourages awareness of this serious issue, and teaches empathy and tolerance to your young students. It is child-friendly and includes student activities and colorful posters.
Relational Aggression Bullying Prevention Healthy Friendships Activities Unit
By The Fancy Counselor
Grades: 4th-8th
Reduce bullying behaviors with this researched and planned-out bullying unit. Featuring over 80 pages of lesson plans, strategies, activities, and a game, this comprehensive unit aims to address relational aggression in elementary and middle school students.
Bullying Lessons for Middle School – Bystanders Upstanders & Bully Prevention
By Bright Futures Counseling
Grades: 6th-8th
This middle school counseling bullying prevention lesson teaches students to identify the roles of bystander, bully, and upstander, while exploring the deeper causes behind bullying. Through clear examples, reflection, and interactive discussion, students will strengthen their bullying awareness and learn to differentiate between unkindness, conflict, and true bullying behavior.
Bullying Prevention Month Bulletin Board – Anti-Bullying Posters – Lessons Ideas
By The Creative Classroom
Grades: 5th-9th
Standards: CCSS RI.6.1, 7.1, 8.1
Create low-prep anti-bullying activities for your middle school and high school students with these 44 posters with quotes about preventing bullying and cyberbullying. Each poster comes with a critical thinking question for students to read and respond to while also having the opportunity to collaborate with their peers. Question types include analysis, making connections, self-reflecting, and more.
2. Demonstrate the lasting impact of bullying
Providing students with memorable visual representations of the impacts of bullying can be key to anti-bullying education. The crumpled paper (or wrinkled heart) activity is one that provides students with a powerful visual example of the lasting effects of bullying, particularly around how difficult it is to undo the damage inflicted upon someone who has been the target of unkind words or actions.
To do this activity, follow the following steps:
- Give each student a piece of paper.
- Ask the class for examples of things that people say or do that hurt their feelings. For each example, have students crumple or fold their piece of paper.
- Explain that this is what happens to someone’s self-esteem or mental health whenever another person says or does something mean.
- Instruct students to try to smooth out the wrinkles they created, and discuss how the damage is still there — even after taking steps to undo it.
- Close out this activity by asking students how they can demonstrate kind behaviors toward their peers and not cause wrinkles in others’ hearts!
You can also pair this activity with any book where the characters speak and act unkindly toward another character.
Anti Bullying Empathy Activity Bullying Prevention and Hurtful Words & Emotions
By Informed Decisions
Grades: 6th-12th
Standards: CCSS W.7.2, 7.2a, 7.2b
Through the use of this interactive anti-bullying activity, middle and high school students will gain a better understanding of empathy and learn how hurtful words can impact themselves and others.
3. Teach students how to react to bullying
Teaching students to be upstanders — individuals who take action to support someone who is being bullied — requires cultivating empathy, building confidence, and providing practical tools to help them intervene safely.
Here are a couple of ways you can do that:
- Explain the difference between bystanders and upstanders. Many students don’t realize the power they have to make a positive impact. Clearly distinguishing between passive bystanders and proactive upstanders helps students understand their role in bullying situations.
- Give them examples of phrases they can use to interrupt bullying. Practicing what to say in a situation boosts students’ confidence in becoming upstanders.
- Teach safe ways to intervene. Many students want to help but aren’t sure how to intervene without escalating the situation or putting themselves at risk. Teach students specific techniques for being upstanders, such as: distraction, seeking help, and supporting the targeted person.
Anti Bullying Empathy Activity Bullying Prevention and Hurtful Words & Emotions
By The Responsive Counselor
Grades: 1st-3rd
This Learning for Justice-aligned lesson is about understanding how to take action and be an upstander. It focuses on what to say when you see or hear unfair treatment, practicing being an upstander, and identifying how to make the classroom and school welcoming.
4. Create a chain of kindness
This activity encourages students to recognize and practice kind acts while reinforcing that kindness spreads throughout the community. To create a visual representation of how small acts of kindness can build a more positive school community:
- Start by giving each student strips of colored paper.
- Whenever a student witnesses or performs an act of kindness, they write it on a strip of paper.
- Over time, connect the strips to form a “chain of kindness” around the classroom or school.
- At the end of the month, celebrate the students’ efforts by reflecting on the chain and discussing how kindness can reduce bullying.
Friendship or Kindness Chain – Classroom Community
By Hanging with Mrs Hulsey
Grades: Any
Set up is easy: Print out the board title and hang it in your room, print out enough “caught being kind” or “caught being a friend” strips to keep a fairly large supply on hand, and give out a paper strip each time a student catches another doing something kind. Then, simply build your kindness/friendship chain for everyone to see!
Kindness Coloring Compliment Notes | Whole School Kindness Project for SEL
By Teachers Resource Force
Grades: 3rd-12th
Promote a positive school culture with these kindness compliment notes — a creative, flexible resource that helps students express appreciation and empathy in a fun, hands-on way. Students color and share these compliment notes with classmates, staff, or even anonymously, turning everyday moments into meaningful acts of kindness!
5. Design bullying prevention posters
Art can be a powerful way to address serious issues like bullying, and anti-bullying poster ideas range from clear messages with slogans to abstract images that capture feelings. Host a contest where students can create posters, videos, or digital artwork that promote kindness, inclusion, and bullying prevention. Display the entries around the school or on social media, and offer small prizes for the most impactful pieces.
Bully Prevention – PowerPoint, Posters and Pledge Certificate
By ARTrageous Fun
Grades: Any
This Stand Up Against Bullying PowerPoint allows for teacher and students to openly discuss the reasons kids bully others and what students can do about it. The resource includes 28 slides, student worksheets, and certificates.
11 Bullying Prevention Posters & Coloring Pages, Cyberbullying
By Music City Counselor
Grades: PreK-5
This set of 11 bullying prevention posters teaches students about the four types of bullying (verbal, physical, social, and cyber), to report bullying to a grown-up, and to prevent cyberbullying.
6. Practice thoughtful communication skills
Mindful communication — which is all about being conscious of what you say and how you say it — can play a key role in bullying prevention by promoting empathy, self-awareness, and respect in interactions.
Take some time to work on developing skills that promote mindful communication, such as:
- Using “I” statements
- Pausing before speaking, especially when upset or frustrated
- Active listening
Blurt Reflection | Social Emotional Learning | Classroom Behaviour Management
By Ms.CurtisTeaches
Grades: Any
This editable Blurt Reflection Sheet guides children through a simple, restorative process by helping them identify who their words impacted, why it mattered, and how they can make things right.
Keep kindness at the core of your class with TPT
Started in 2006, National Bullying Prevention Month is recognized throughout October every year. Its main goals are to promote kindness, inclusion, and acceptance as a means to prevent childhood bullying. Since it’s near the start of the school year for many, it’s the ideal time to start talking about this challenging topic with students of all ages. Through expert-created anti-bullying resources, all teachers and school support staff can help create a culture of kindness in their school throughout October and beyond.