On Tuesday, 23rd of November, as part of our commitment to tackle the issues of bullying, the Children's Fund invited Children's World to work with a selected group of thirty Year 6 and Year 7 students at our school.

As a result of our participation at the Children's Fund Anti-bullying Conference, we were asked how we would resolve to be an active part in addressing the issues of bullying within our own school or project, throughout National Anti-bullying week (22-26th Nov. 2004).

The day unfolded providing us with workshops where various aspects of bullying were discussed and effective solutions to addressing this very damaging problem were explored. The end of the day culminated in a performance by a group of children who had been part of a Children's World Drama Workshop during the morning session. Their performance was called "The Bully and the Victim"- a very powerful and thought provoking performance that delivered a clear message in an expressive but neither threatening nor prejudiced way. At the end of the day it became clear that the best way for our children to participate in addressing these issues was through a workshop with the Children's World Team.

Our workshop at Minehead Middle School began with an ice-breaking exercise to get the children to break down their barriers and mix. Once the Team began to establish their trust, we quickly moved on to rehearsals and creating our performance. Through very effective and meaningful communication, the performance began to take shape while the children were almost unaware of being a part of an Anti - bullying workshop.

As issues were raised relating to bullies during the rehearsals you could not help but notice that those that were taking part in the workshop that had actually bullied, shrank away and 'faced their demons'. While in contrast, the victims seemed raised in stature and gained strength when their thoughts and emotions were brought forward and highlighted. I was beginning to feel like I was on an emotional roller-coaster with our children from the beginning of the drama workshop and that I would not be able to get off until the end!

Children were asked to volunteer to audition for the part of the bully and the victim. It was surprising to see the successful 'bully' burst into tears after her audition. She seemed to be totally overwhelmed by her emotions. The Children's World Team supported her with skill, knowledge and sensitivity that left her feeling calm, confident and emotionally intact enough to carry on with the workshop.

I began to realise how much the children had already experienced through their participation in the drama workshop and that lots of feelings were beginning to bubble up to the surface. Some of the children were perhaps not even aware of these feelings and began to face them for the very first time.

When a few of our children found their participation in the workshop challenging enough to behave badly, it was clear that this Team had the skills to bring out the best in participating children through raising their self-confidence and self- esteem while encouraging respect for themselves and others.

The workshop performance took place after lunch for each year group and captured the audience with its thought - provoking and emotional movement to a powerful and evocative piece of music.

After the performance there was an interactive discussion led by the Children's World Team that focused on the real problems of bullying that had been identified by the children. Both sides of possible outcomes that reinforced our school policy were explored with lots of practical advice that will help our children to think for themselves about tackling and preventing bullying from happening now and in the future.

The discussion ended with some mask work where children volunteered to put on a mask and the audience was asked, "to use words to describe how mat person might be feeling". This session invited children to use words that empathised with the wearer's mask. Unaware, the children were being provoked and led along by the Team... While at first, happy and sad masks brought forward sensible descriptions like excited, joyful, lonely and unhappy, the audience was being drawn in with freedom to say what they thought. Just when emotions were beginning to rise, the last mask was introduced - it was a face with a large nose and goofy teeth. Immediately, the children began to giggle and call out with insulting and derogatory names for that person behind the mask.

When asked what had changed, the penny began to drop and some of the children began to feel uncomfortable when they started to realise that they had in fact, been taking part in bullying!

It was explained that while yes, they had used descriptive and kind words for the happy and sad masks, their words changed to hurtful and insulting words that were directed at the person behind the final mask rather than describing how that person was feeling. Without knowing anything about that person, they had judged him solely on how he looked.

Some of the children appeared to be slightly shocked or surprised by their experience and the Team explained that while they had taken part in some form of bullying, the most damaging forms of bullying take place over a long period of time where the victim lives in constant fear. A dialogue opened up about how easy it is for things such as name calling to get out of hand when repeated over and over again and how bullies are usually urged on by a group of peers to inflict such misery on their victims. The workshop ended with-our children enriched by their experience and perhaps a little bit wiser. Whatever each child had gained personally from their experience, they were there for the duration of the ride...

Prepared by C. James, Senior Liaison Coordinator - Somerset Children's Fund.

THE ANTI-BULLYING WORKSHOP DAY IS AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS FOR: £300

If you are interested in booking this workshop, please e-mail

ArabellaChurchill(at)childrensworldcharity.org