Anti-Bullying Week is an annual event organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance which aims to raise awareness about bullying and encourage children, teachers and parents to take action against it.
For 2024, the theme of Anti-Bullying Week is ‘Choose Respect’. This powerful message emphasises the importance of making conscious decisions to treat others with kindness and consideration, fostering a positive and inclusive environment in schools and beyond.
Practical teaching ideas for Anti-Bullying Week 2024
Ideas for primary schools
- Anti-Bullying Week assembly. Kick off the week with an engaging assembly that introduces Anti-Bullying Week by helping children recognise that their actions affect themselves and others, and to understand the importance of kindness. Download the assembly.
- Five tips for a successful Anti-Bullying Week. Implement the strategies outlined in the ‘5 tips for Anti-bullying Week’ resource to ensure your school's anti-bullying initiatives have a lasting impact. Download the tips.
- Respect pledges. Have students create individual or class pledges to choose respect, which can be displayed in the classroom or school corridors.
- Friend or bully? activity. Use the ‘Friend or bully?’ resource to help students distinguish between friendly and bullying behaviours, promoting a better understanding of respectful relationships. Download the resource.
- Respect chain. Create a paper chain where each link represents a respectful action or word. Encourage students to add links throughout the week.
- Role-playing with bully or victim cards. Utilise the ‘Bully or victim cards’ to create role-playing scenarios that encourage empathy and problem-solving skills. Download the cards.
- Respectability raffle. Use the 'Respectability raffle' to recognise and reward acts of kindness, inclusion and respect among students by adding the names of children showing exemplary behaviour to the raffle jar for a chance to win a reward.
- Dilemma dice – peer pressure. Use this interactive activity to help students practice making respectful choices when faced with peer pressure situations. Download the resource.
- The Angel of Nitshill School comprehension activities. Explore this comprehensive resource pack based on the book by Anne Fine, which offers various activities to discuss bullying and kindness. Download the resource pack.
- Respect through art. Organise an art project where students create posters, paintings or sculptures that represent what respect means to them. Display the artwork around the school to promote the anti-bullying message visually.
Ideas for secondary schools
- Anti-Bullying Week discussion cards. Use simple scenario cards to spark quick, meaningful discussions about respect and bullying. Download the discussion cards.
- Kindness challenge. Encourage students to perform one act of kindness each day during Anti-Bullying Week and share their experiences. Download the resource.
- Positive post-its. Students write kind messages on post-it notes to create a 'Wall of Respect' in the classroom.
- Anti-bullying pledge. As a class, create a simple anti-bullying pledge that students can sign and display in the classroom.
- Respect in media. Analyse a short film clip or news article showcasing respect or its absence, discussing the impact on individuals and society.
- Cultural respect mini-presentations. after doing some research, students give brief, 2-minute presentations on how respect is shown in different cultures, promoting diversity awareness.
- Role-play scenarios. Act out brief scenarios demonstrating respectful responses to potential bullying situations, followed by class discussion.
- Respect in sports. Host a short discussion on sportsmanship, using recent examples from popular sports events.
- Respectful debate practice. Conduct a 10-minute debate on a simple topic, focusing on respectful communication techniques.
- Workplace respect discussion. Briefly explore how respect is crucial in various careers, using examples students can relate to.
By incorporating these ideas and resources into your Anti-Bullying Week activities, you can create a meaningful and impactful experience for your students. Remember, choosing respect is not just a week-long initiative, but a year-round commitment to creating a positive school environment.
Further support for Anti-Bullying Week and beyond
- Anti-Bullying Alliance: Access resources, toolkits, and information about Anti-Bullying Week.
- Bullying UK: Find advice, support, and resources for teachers and students.
- NSPCC: Discover tools and guidance for preventing bullying and promoting children's well-being.
- Kidscape: Access free anti-bullying resources and workshops.
- The Diana Award: Explore their Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme and resources.
- Childline: Find resources to help children understand and cope with bullying.
