Washington Middle School Counseling

The WMS anti-harassment and anti-bullying program, We All Belong began today. The program consists of 24 lessons spread over 3 years, for all students. Students are randomly assigned to grade-level small groups of 20-25 and a teacher who will stay with them all three years. We run the program 4 weeks in a row each semester, in order to create the group cohesiveness necessary for open discussion of the topics.

Sixth graders have a get acquainted introduction, then are taught what bullying is and WMS’ reporting process. The next lessons help think about the complexities of their lives, and teach them how to distinguish between friendly and hurtful teasing. A 3-lesson video on bullying which features interviews with real teens follows. The last lesson talks about strategies for bystanders of bullying and how to take a stand safely.

The seventh grade lessons begin with a review of the 6th grade material, plus expanded scenarios for practicing bystander strategies. Two lessons are spent on social contracts in the context of online activities and cyberbullying, and the social hierarchy, popularity, and group name calling. The last three lessons discuss gossip, conflict resolution, and the escalation of hate (discrimination, genocide, hate crimes, prejudice, scapegoating, stereotypes and violence.

Eighth grade lessons start with a review of 7th grade material, then progress into two lessons on cyberbullying. There is a lesson on dealing with anger, and one on sexual harassment. The last four lessons expand all that the students have learned in the previous two years about recognizing and confronting harassment and bullying in their individual and school lives toward a global view. One lesson is on racial and cultural harassment. The last two lessons use South Africa and Apartheid as a model for social justice.

The 3-year curriculum is reviewed each year, and lessons are modified, discarded, and?or added based on student and teacher feedback and changing knowledge and times. Student climate surveys over the past 5 years have indicated a decrease in bullying at our school. We have also gotten international recognition of our program. I would like to thank the Prevention and Intervention Department of SPS, and parent Shelly Sundberg for their work in helping us develop this fine program.