Russ Peak Speaks About Bullying
School is a place to have fun... explore... and to learn. It's not just a privilage... its your right! Unfortunately, research show us that on some campuses, up to 75% of students feel that their education is being compromised due to bullying at school. One study estimates that ONE in TWELVE students stay home from school daily simply because they are afraid.
So when you
invite Russ Peak to speak to your students on this important
topic, he takes it very seriously. Through well placed humor,
stories, and jaw dropping mind stunts, Russ presents a three part
message that not only entertains but speaks
directly to each of main types of
students involved in most campus bullying conflicts:
The Bully.
The Bullied.
And... The Bystander.
Almost no bullying conflicts happens without the presence of all three. So, Russ aimes aims at informing your students: How to spot and avoid different types of bullying behavior; how working together lessens bullying; how to open lines of communication; and how bystanders can help.
Russ Speaks To... The Bully
Embarassing someone in the locker room, sending a nasty text or email, or spreading a mean-spirited rumor are all forms of bullying and something more of us are guilty about than we'd like to admit. Russ covers what bullying is... and why it has no place at school.
Often, the first step to ending bullying is for each of us to look at our own lives and actions - and ask: Am I a bully?
Russ Speaks To... The Bullied
Being bullied isn't fun! In fact, it can be a traumatic experience. Especially, when it goes on and on, bullying can put you in a state of constant fear. That's why Russ takes the second part of his message to speak to victims of bullying. He lets them know that they're not alone, that it's not their fault, and that there is help for them to get through this rough situation.
Russ also offers solid advice on how to avoid being bullied, how to talk about it with an adult, and how STAND UP to a bully in an appropriate way.
Russ Speaks To... The Bystander
Bullies thrive beacuse, as the bully knows, noone usually does anything about it. In fact, most witnesses of these incidents either walk the other direction - glad its not them... they laugh at the victim... or at worst... they join in the game and become bullies themselves .
Russ explains: "Bullying is like starting a campfire. The Bully is obviously the spark. The Bullied get burned. But its the rest of us: The Bystanders who act as the oxygen that will fuel these flames determining whether the bully's attempts fizzle out or if grows into a raging inferno! "
Russ Speaks To... The Hero
Russ concludes his presentation with a challenge to your campus to play the a new role that can appear in the bully conflict. The H.E.R.O. - Someone who stands up against bullies and committed to:
HELP OUT anyone being bullied to get away from the bully or find someone who can.
EMPATHIZE with victims of bullying, imagining how it may feel.
REPORT bullying they know of to teachers or other adults.
OPEN COMMUNICATION between students, their teachers, and their peers to stop bullying on campus.
Russ Speaks To... You!
"I
would love to be your anti-bullying speaker! It's a subject close
to me, having had the opportunity to play each of these roles of
the bully scenario at one time or another. I have also seen the
effects bullying has had on the lives of the teens I come in
contact with every day. My approach to this sensitive topic begins
with high-energy quality entertainment that really draws your
students in with fun and laughter. Then, with undivided attention,
I carefully weave in a genuine message that emphasizes what teens
need to know about bullying and it's lethal effects. Through fun,
interactive feats - and a few serious moments - your students will
learn how to best help themselves and their friends when being
bullied, and how to prevent bullying on their campus in an
assembly that will keep them on the edge of their seats!
Afterwards, I include a special leadership workshop where I teach
your student leaders what they can do to keep their anti-bullying
message going all year long!
- Russ Peak