1. KNOWLEDGE that STICKS!
bullying
the legend of
gretchen
by M i KE Cass i dy
Defend yourself against bullies and cyberbullies.

2. UPON ARRIVAL, BILLY AND BETH REALIZE THAT THEY IN THEIR FIRST MONTH AT STICKVILLE MIDDLE
AREN’T GOING TO BE AS POPULAR AS THEY USED TO BE. SCHOOL, BILLY AND BETH HAVE BEEN BY-STANDERS
TO BULLYING BY THE BIGGER 8TH GRADERS.
“CAN WE TALK
ABOUT THIS!?!”
13 15
WHAT IS BULLYING?
CHANGING SCHOOLS CAN BE A A lot of young people have a good idea of what bullying
is because they see it every day! Bullying happens
DIFFICULT TRANSITION when someone hurts or scares another person on
purpose and the person being bullied has a hard time
A new school means new freedoms, people, classes,
defending himself or herself. Usually, bullying happens
and responsibilities.
over and over. Bullying also can happen online or
The best thing you can do is prepare and organize electronically. Cyberbullying is when children or teens
yourself for your first day. Don’t let yourself get too bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones, or
nervous. Discuss any concerns you have with an adult other cyber technology.
you trust. Enjoy yourself. Being in school should be
Stop Bullying Now, HHS.gov
fun!
14 16

3. BILLY AND BETH HAVE BEEN LUCKY SO FAR. THEY’VE
A Bullying policY can vary from school to school.
MANAGED TO STAY UNDER THE BULLYS’ RADAR.
It’s best to talk to a parent or teacher to learn exactly
how bullying is defined at your school.
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LESTER PICKLES HAS NOT BEEN AS FORTUNATE.
There are Four main types HE’S a common TARGET FOR BULLIES LIKE CHRIS
LOGAN AND HIS henchmen. BY THE LOOK OF IT,
of bullying HE’S HAVING A HARD TIME AT SCHOOL.
1. Physical - Intentionally hurting someone
with force
2. Verbal - Using words to hurt others
3. Indirect - When you hurt someone behind
their back, not to their face
4. cyberbullying - Bullying that occurs
online or electronically
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4. BILLY IS TOO SCARED TO HELP LESTER
“Beth! Do you see the size of how can you help a victim
“Billy, you
that kid!?! He could smash of bullying?
me into jelly. I think it’s better
should say if I just keep my mouth shut.”
something.”
1. Talk to an adult
2. Stand up to the bully
3. Be an ally: Lend a helping hand
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Billy and Beth, I’m going to call a time out. I’ve noticed
you’ve stayed under the bullies’ radar so far and
that’s great. Unfortunately, avoiding bullies simply is
not enough. You need to STAND UP to bullying
1.
whenever you see it, especially when it involves
someone else.
If you don’t feel safe confronting the bully yourself,
talk to an adult. You can talk to a teacher, principal,
parent, counselor, nurse, coach, or any adult
you trust. Make sure you tell them exactly what
happened. (If they don’t do anything to help, tell
someone else!)
22 24

5. 2. Stand up to the bully: If you feel safe, tell the bully Always try to put yourself into the shoes of
to stop. It’s important to establish that bullying is not the person being bullied.
cool at your school.
25 27
3. Be an ally: Lend a helping hand to those being bullied.
You can listen to their problems, walk them home from
school, invite them to join your friends, or tell them you “Are you OK, “I’ve been
understand what they are going through. These small Lester?” better, guys.
things can make a BIG difference in someone’s life. That Chris
Logan is a
real jerk.”
26 28

6. “You know, Lester, we “Good morning class, settle down. Today, I have prepared a
are going to audition “Don’t worry, Lester. special presentation using the rules of the ocean to demonstrate
for the 6th grade play, We’re gonna practice how you kids can avoid bullies. As you know, the ocean is filled
The Wizard of Oz. You everyday after with creatures big and small. The smaller creatures stand little
“Ehh... I don’t
should come try out school. And some chance against a big, hungry shark. In order to stay alive, the
know. I’m not
with us.” of the parts only smaller animals have learned certain tricks to avoid being eaten
a very good
actor. What if I have a few words.” for dinner.”
get stage fright
and forget my
lines?”
29 31
How to avoid
being bullied
MR. GRISWALD’S
SCIENCE CLASS,
THE NEXT DAY.
30 32

7. I.
B. Another benefit of “schooling” is that large groups are
less likely to be attacked by a predator because the group
looks like a bigger, scarier animal.
STAY IN GROUPS
33 35
Some fish travel in a “school” just like you kids. The main C. Finally, it’s harder for predators to pick out individual prey
reason is that there is power in numbers. Fish gain specific in a group because many moving fish confuse and distract
advantages by traveling together in groups. the predator. When a fish is alone, it becomes an easy
target.
A. By staying active in a group, fish have more eyes to look
out for sharks. The sooner one of the fish spots the predator,
the more quickly the group can flee.
“Shark!”
“Look out!”
“Let’s get
outta here!!!”
34 36

8. “Once a shark sets his eyes on a small seal, it has little
LEsson Learned: chance to escape. Sharks tend to gather in areas like shallow
water and feeding grounds where seals are an easy target.
Stay active: Like the fish in our lesson, students are These areas are called hot spots.”
better off staying together with friends in a group. Stay
active and participate in as many groups and clubs as
you can. The more involved you are in school, the more
people will be around you. It’s harder for a bully to pick
out a single target in a group.
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II.
In order to avoid being eaten, seals have developed
strategies to avoid hot spots. Some seals have learned to
hunt in deep water where sharks do not look for them.
AVOID HOT SPOTS
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9. LEsson Learned: Puffer fish are very slow and have poor reflexes,
making them an easy target for predators. In order to
Avoid hot spots: Do your best to avoid unsupervised stay alive, puffer fish have developed a unique ability to
areas where bullies might hang out. fill their stomachs with water so they appear
to be much larger than they actually are.
This scares the predator and gives the
“Let’s
puffer a few extra seconds to escape.
move!!!”
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III.
LEsson Learned:
Stay confident: A bully tends to target people who
seem to lack confidence or have a low self-esteem.
STAY CONFIDENT Always try to project confidence and inner strength.
Believe in yourself, take pride in your accomplishments,
exercise, and eat healthy. If you follow these steps, you
might be able to scare the bully off.
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10. After years of studying how people learn, Rand Media Co has created
The Skinny On™ series of books to provide a plain-English explanation
of today’s most important topics. Information is presented in an
entertaining story format.
The Skinny on Bullying is the story of two popular 5th graders at
Stickville Elementary School named Beth and Billy. After a fun
filled summer, the time has come to start 6th grade at Stickville
Middle School. Once school starts, the two soon realize they aren’t
as popular as they used to be. They experience bullying from some
older kids and a new student named Gretchen with a mysterious past.
With the help of teachers, adults, and friends they devise strategies
to put a stop to bullying and grow up a bit in the process.
The Skinny on Bullying will teach you to:
• dentify forms of bullying
I • njoy recess and lunch
E
• now when you are being
K • elp a friend being
H
bullied bullied
• rotect yourself from
P • alk to an adult about
T
cyberbullying bullying
• alk the halls without fear
W • Avoid conflicts with bullies
Mike Cassidy is a writer and social media
expert who grew up in the Connecticut
suburbs outside New York City. Mike is
a 2006 graduate of Villanova University
with a degree in Communications.
learn more at:
theskinnyon.com