Dealing With Put-

Downs
Second Step, Lesson 7
 KNOW
Definitions:
Bully
Put-Downs
Ostracize
Four strategies for dealing with put downs

 UNDERSTAND
Put-downs serve to belittle and
psychologically hurt people.
Bullies are people who consistently harass
others; the are often victims as well as
victimizers
Effectively dealing with put-downs and
other bullying behavior involves ignoring
the remarks, telling the bully to stop,
and/or getting help.

 DO
At the end of this lesson, you
should be able to:

Display coping skills for dealing with put-

downs and other bullying behavior

Provide reasons why some people put

down and bully others.

 Key Definitions
Bully:Someone who victimizes others
through physical or psychological (mental)
means.
Put-downs: Words meant to humiliate or
snub someone.
Ostracize: To shun as a group.

 Why are we talking about
this?
Put-downs are one form of bullying behavior.

Though some put-downs are used in a playful

way, if the person doing the kidding is not
sensitive to the feelings of the other person,
results can be harmful.

Bullying can be a serious problem on entrance

and sometimes throughout junior high.

 Why are we talking about
this?
Bullies are of either gender.
Male bullies often use put-downs and are
much more likely to use physical violence or
contact to bully others (ex: pushing,
bumping in hallway, book-checking, kicking
books, etc.)
Female bullies tend to be more subtle by
using psychological (mental) violence to put
down, shun, or otherwise ostrasize their
victims.

 You are encouraged to
If you are being put-down, or if you witness
another being put-down, this lesson
encourages you to try strategies of
Ignoring
Making humorous remarks
Assertively talking back in a non-provocative
manner
Seeking support through peers or adults.
And if one solution/strategy is not working, switch
to another.

 What are put-downs?
Words that serve to humiliate or snub
someone.

 Why do people use put-
downs?
To be funny in front of peers
To kid a friend
To bully someone
To cause someone to lose their cool

 Put-downs can be used humorously without
intent to hurt someone, but all too often put-
downs hurt and are used to bully another
person.

The person doing the put-downs MUST BE

SENSITIVE to the other person. Watch for
body language and even verbal cues that they
are being hurt or embarassed by the put-
downs.

 What are some of your
experience with put-downs,
both as givers and receivers?
Please do not use names.
Mean notes
Yelling in front of whole class

 Video
Lets watch as Carl has difficulty handling
put-downs from Danny, a student in his
P.E. class.
Who do you think was in control of the
situation?
Why do you think Danny put down Carl?

 Why do people put down?
Its important to think of why people put
down others. Often their goal is to cause
other people to lose their cool. You can
make it YOUR GOAL not to lose your
cool--dont give the bully what he/she
wants.

 Discussion Questions
How do you think Carl felt about the put-
downs?
How did Carl react and what were the
consequences of his reaction?
What else could Carl have done about the
problem?
For each solution, ask: Is it safe? How might
people feel? Is it fair? Will it work?

 Brainstorm Skill Steps
Get into groups and decide what solution
or combination of solutions you would
use.
Then create four or five behavior steps to
perform the solution.

 DEALING WITH PUT-DOWNS
Suggested Skill Steps
1. Stay calm.
2. Ignore the person.
3. Think about the consequences.
4. Seek out supportive friends.

 Video, continued
Now lets watch how Carl handles the
situation differently, using some of the
skills we discussed.
After viewing this scene, would you like to
change any of the steps you generated?
Would you react differently to a friend who
puts you down? How might your steps
differ?

 Student Role Plays
Now you will perform some situations in
which you deal with put-downs. Stay in
your triad. Two of you will participate in
the role-play while the third student acts
as the observer. Use the Role-Play
Observation Form. Remember to switch
roles so that everyone has an opportunity
to practice the steps and be the oberver.

 In Closing
In todays lesson you generated steps for
dealing with put-downs and then practiced
the skill.
Which of the steps felt most comfortable?