Joking, Teasing or Bullying? Students will distinguish the difference between joking, teasing and bullying and understand how joking, teasing and bullying can strengthen or weaken relationships. Lesson Background for Teachers This lesson builds on previous lessons in this unit.
Key Terms for Students
Consider writing key terms on the board before class to introduce vocabulary and increase understanding.
JOKING
To say funny things or play tricks on people to make them laugh. Joking is between friends, makes all people laugh, isn’t meant to be mean, cruel or unkind, doesn’t make people feel bad and stops before someone gets upset.
TEASING
Teasing doesn’t happen often. It means to make fun of someone by playfully saying unkind and hurtful things to the person; it can be friendly, but can turn unkind quickly. Teasing can include small insults, physical bumps and pushes, and minor insults.
BULLYING
Bullying happens over and over and can include name calling, taunting, insulting, gossiping, leaving people out, kicking, hitting, making someone look silly on purpose, spreading rumors, mean phone calls or text messages or making fun of someone.
TIME FRAME
- Preparation: 15 minutes
- Instruction: 30-60 minutes
MATERIALS
- Large white poster sheet divided into three columns with the following headings: Joking, Teasing, Bullying
- Create three signs, one that says “JOKING”, another that says, “TEASING”, third that says “BULLYING”;
TIPS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS
Students might benefit from:
- Repeating this activity often in different situations.
- Distinguishing between joking, teasing and bullying can be challenging for all students, but particularly students with special needs.
- Students need to be supported to use their voice to speak up if something doesn’t feel like joking to them.
- Seeing images or creating pictures of the situations.
- Referencing
Inspire Is it Joking, Teasing or Bullying (10 mins)
In the book, Red was bullying Blue.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a person is joking with you, teasing you, or bullying you. Do you usually know if someone is joking, teasing or bullying you? What does joking look like to you? What does teasing look like to you? What does bullying look like? When is it wrong to tease or make fun of someone?
Write student responses on the white poster sheet.
If students are struggling, here are some possible responses:
• Joking: To say funny things or play tricks on people in order to make them laugh, It is between friends, makes all people laugh, isn’t meant to be cruel or unkind, doesn’t make people feel bad, stops before someone gets upset.
• Teasing: To mock someone by playfully saying unkind and hurtful things to the person, not a routine activity; it can be friendly, but can turn unkind quickly. Teasing can include small insults, physical bumps and pushes, and minor insults.
• Bullying: Name calling, taunting, insulting, gossiping, leaving people out, kicking, hitting, making someone look silly on purpose, spreading rumors, mean phone calls or text messages, happens more than once (this is key), makes fun of someone’s race or religion.
You thought of strong words to describe joking, teasing and bullying! (Summarize by saying something like:)
Joking around can be a way to get closer to your friends or others, get to know them or have fun. Teasing can start as a way for friends to have fun, but can quickly become cruel and unkind if people aren’t careful. Bullying is repeated unkind behavior and the goal is to have power over or to hurt someone else. In fact, teasing can become bullying when one person uses it to make him or herself seem more important or keeps doing it over and over again. Does that make sense?.
Empower Group Activity (10 mins)
Divide students into groups of three or four; be sensitive to creating groups where there are equal power relationships.
Now we will do an activity that might help to better understand whether a comment is teasing or bullying. One group will come up to the front of the room at a time. If you think the comment is joking, walk to that sign. If you think it is teasing, walk to that sign. If you think it is bullying, walk to that sign. If you aren’t really sure, stand somewhere in the middle. Make sure to decide for yourself.
Call up one group of students at a time.
Then read one statement to each group and after each statement, ask why they felt the statement was joking, teasing or bullying.
Discuss.
Possible situations (or you can write your own):
• A friend says
“ You are acting super crazy today!” and laughs. Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
• A kid who isn’t very nice to you trips you in the hall for the third time this week. Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
• A popular second grader tells the other kids in your class to ignore you because your clothes aren’t very stylish. Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
• You and a friend like to laugh about the silly shoes that your mom makes you wear. Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
• A fourth grader comes over to you on the playground and tells you to stop playing with your best friend because she is weird. Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
• You fall down, hurt your knee and try not to cry. A friend comes over and says “Hey, clumsy, what happened?” Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
• Some friends are joking around with each other and another classmate joins them. He says that he thinks they are being mean to each other and to stop joking around, but the friends keep joking anyway. Is that joking, teasing or bullying?
Wrap Up (5 mins)
To gauge understanding of the material, choose from either the evaluation or reflection questions as discussion, writing or journal prompts. Consider providing additional time for deeper evaluation and reflection as needed.
Evaluation Questions
• What is the difference between joking, teasing, and bullying?
• Which one of these is playful and which is harmful?
• When should you involve an adult in a situation?
Reflection Questions
• Was it easy or difficult for you to decide whether the comment was joking, teasing or bullying?
• If teasing turns into bullying what can you do?
• How can you stand up for yourself or someone else?
Summary
Today we learned that it’s OK to have fun with our friends and joke around, but often it can turn into teasing or bullying accidentally. That is not kind. By knowing the difference between the three, we can help ourselves and others when these situations arise. We can make sure that everyone is being treated kindly.
Act (2 mins)
Kindness Minute
It’s important to be kind to ourselves and not let other people tease or bully us. Take a moment to be kind to yourself by promising yourself to not engage in teasing or bullying. Say these words, “I (state your name) promise that if someone teases me, I will ask them to stop and if someone bullies me I will get help. I will not let anyone say mean words to me that I don’t like and I promise not to say mean things to others”.
Kindness in Action
Before our next lesson, write down the words you can use if someone is teasing or bullying you. Write down one thing you can do to get help if they don’t stop
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