Belinda Bates is a bully
A bossy, belligerent bully.
Though a beauty and bright,
She’s so full of spite,
But adults don’t know she’s a bully
“On please let me help, Miss O’ Neal”
“What a lovely tie, Mister Beal.”
She’s as sweet as canned spinach,
A fake to the finish,
Yet grown-ups are sure she’s for real.
But …
If they’d walk out on the playground
On any given day,
They’d see Miss Bates in action,
And much to their dismay,
They’d see …
A shy girl is shunned and she’s teased,
Her brother is kicked in the knees,
Another called “Fatso”
Her clique?
They all laughed so.
Such pain she inflicts with great ease.
But …
I can see it happen.
And I know it isn’t right.
I can tell a teacher,
And refuse to watch a fight.
I can help the shy girl.
Lift her brother to her feet.
Call Fatso by his real name,
and refuse to join the clique.
I can even be nice to Belinda,
For I’m sure there is something wrong.
I think she is really unhappy.
Let’s see if we can’t get along.
by Andrea Wilson
Topics for discussion:
-
Why are adults often not aware of a bully’s behavior and how does a bully manage to pass undetected?
-
Describe different types of bullying: physical, verbal, relational or social. How do they manifest themselves?
-
What are cliques? When do cliques become a problem?
-
What roles can an onlooker play?
-
When should you intervene and how?
-
What might be the underlying causes of bullying behavior
-
What is empathy?
Classroom activities:
-
Using the first stanza as an example, practice using alliteration to write a stanza about bullying.
-
Using the phrase “She’s as sweet as canned spinach” as an example, write examples of similes to describe bullies.
-
Explore empathy by finding possible explanations (not justifications) for Belinda’s behavior.
-
Try methods of intervening by role-playing.
