Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying

In this schoolwide program, older students undergo intensive training to enable them to become peer leaders of lively and informative small-group sessions for younger students. Through group participation, younger students learn important relationship skills and have the opportunity to share their concerns about communication, relational aggression, dating issues, cyberbullying, acceptance, and other challenges. Both older and younger students benefit by building cross-age connections, breaking up cliques, and fostering tolerance of individual differences.

Part 1: Program Content and Implementation provides a thorough overview and discussion of program principles, offers guidance for organizing and getting started, and discusses program evaluation.
Part 2: Peer Leader Selection and Training includes suggestions for peer leader selection and details procedures for 12 training modules, plus team-building activities to help prospective peer leaders develop group cohesion.
Part 3: Facilitator’s Overview of the Peer Leader Guide provides background, commentary, and suggestions for helping peer leaders be good role models and conduct the group activities described in the Peer Leader Guide.

The CD included in this book provides a complete copy of the Peer Leader Guide, plus additional forms, handouts, and all other materials required to run the program.

Book Review

“Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying is a great resource for anyone who wishes to begin a bullying prevention program for high school students. The Peer Leader Guide, sold separately, is equally useful… This program combines four strategies that are geared specifically to teens: connecting with older peer mentors, working in groups, increasing connectedness, and teaching social and emotional skills… This book is recommended for any social worker who wants to enhance student connectedness, social/emotional skills, and/or leadership skills.”

—Stacey Grenz, MSSW, LICSW, School Social Work Journal

Contents

Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part 1: Program Content and Implementation

Chapter 1: Overview and Discussion of Program Principles

Chapter 2: Organizing the Program and Getting Started

Chapter 3: Evaluating the Program

Part 2: Peer Leader Selection and Training

Introduction

Peer Leader Characteristics

Peer Leader Selection

Peer Leader Training Format

Peer Leader Training Curriculum and Agenda

Peer Leader Training Modules

Introduction and Foundational Knowledge

Module 1: Forming Teams
Module 2: Overview of Program Concepts and Process
Module 3: Characteristics of a Peer Leader
Module 4: Peer Leader Code of Ethics
Module 5: Exceptions to Confidentiality—When to Refer
Module 6: Group Inclusion/Exclusion—Lifeboat Activity

Peer Leadership Skills

Module 7: Basics of Communication
Module 8: Open-Ended Versus Closed Questions
Module 9: Micro-Skills
Module 10: Group Development Theory
Module 11: Group Facilitation Techniques
Module 12: Group Facilitation Practice

Team-Building Activities

Team Challenge 1: Inner Tube
Team Challenge 2: Target Frisbee
Team Challenge 3: Twittering Machine
Team Challenge 4: Pop Quiz

Part 3: Facilitator Overview of the Peer Leader Guide

The Peer Leader Guide is available as a separate manual from Research Press.
The CD at the back of this book provides a reproducible version of the guide and
includes additional forms, handouts, and other materials required to run the
program.

Introduction
Connects: Session 1: Getting Started; Session 2: Building Connections and Community; Session 3: Trust; Session 4: Empathy; Session 5: Listening and Communication Skills; Session 6: Internal Influences on Choices; Session 7: External Influences on Choices; Session 8: Conflict Resolution; Session 9: Healthy Relationships
Disconnects: Session 10: Relational Aggression; Session 11: Verbal Aggression; Session 12: Physical Aggression; Session 13: Cyberbullying; Session 14: Cliques; Session 15: Dating and Relationship Issues; Session 16: Intolerance and Harassment; Session 17: Wrapping Up; Session 18: Saying Goodbye