Skip to main content

Bullying and Individuals with Special Needs

Anti-Bullying Program Resources


OCALI has gathered a list of programs and curriculums addressing the topic of bullying. Grade level information is included as appropriate. Order and pricing information is current as of 09/2019.


Bullying Prevention Curriculum (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/safe-schools/bullying-prevention
The Bullying Prevention Curriculum is a teacher-directed curriculum that uses an age-appropriate and multi-strategy approach. The publications explore the key knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to make a school free of bullying behavior. Real-life situations are outlined so students can practice communication skills that are effective in addressing bullying behavior. Fun and engaging activities help with the comprehension of bullying behavior and relationships.
Available online for free: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sspw/pdf/bullyingrethink.pdf
or email at PubSales@dpi.wi.gov

Committee for Children:
https://www.cfchildren.org/programs/bullying-prevention/
This organization offers a bullying prevention program known as "Second Step: Bullying Prevention Unit." Their Second Step: Bullying Prevention Unit is designed to provide schools and educators with resources to prevent bullying and create safe and respectful learning environments.
Ordering Information: https://store.secondstep.org/purchase/products/?query_type_types=or&filter_types=bullying-prevention
Cost $229 per curriculum or $1239 for all curriculum grades K-5.

"Don't Laugh at Me" - Operation Respect
http://www.operationrespect.org
Don't Laugh at Me is a program designed for use with elementary and middle school youth to help address bullying, ridiculing, teasing, and harassing in today's schools. The initiative uses music, video, and well-tested instructional activities to help students recognize intolerance due to personal differences, understand that differences are positive, develop compassion for others who are different from themselves, and learn that teasing, name calling, exclusion, and ridicule are hurtful to others. Teachers are provided with strategies for helping students develop new ways to resolve conflicts positively.
Ordering Information: Curriculum available for download at http://operationrespect.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Final-Curriculum-Guide.pdf
Cost: Free

Kids Against Bullying Program
Pacer Center: Champions for Children with Disabilities
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/
The Kids Against Bullying Program teaches children and adults about bullying prevention. The website features five multicultural animated characters that portray children with and without disabilities. The program is designed for children in grades 1-3. It addresses: a definition of bullying; ways children can respond if they are being bullied and how they can help if they see someone who is being bullied; the difference between telling and tattling; and the important lesson that no one ever deserves to be bullied. The program presents three skits focusing on different types of bullying (physical, verbal, and social/exclusion). The 30 - to 35-minute presentation is interactive and includes opportunities for students to share their ideas and ask questions.
Ordering Information: Online interactive website
Cost: Free
*This is not a curriculum but an online tool to help student with disabilities learn about bullying and how to respond.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is designed for students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools (students ages 5-15 years old). Research has shown that OBPP is also effective in high schools with some program adaptation. All students participate in most aspects of the program, while students identified as bullying others, or as targets of bullying, receive additional individualized interventions. The program has been recognized by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education as an effective program. Rather than simply providing books, videos, and lesson plans on bullying, this program helps a school develop an extensive bullying plan with components at the school, teacher, classroom, and community levels. The organization also helps schools find funding to implement the program.
Cost: Refer to the website for information on all services and products.

The Bully FreeĀ® Program
http://bullyfree.com
The Bully FreeĀ® Program is a comprehensive school-wide (and system-wide) anti-bullying program. It is based on research, and includes administrative strategies, teacher strategies, lesson plans for each grade level (preschool through high school), classroom meetings, student involvement, and bystander empowerment. The program also includes parent involvement, community involvement, and all of the elements and components that must be present in effective anti-bullying programs.
Ordering Information: Order online at http://bullyfree.com/products
Cost: Can range from $299.99 to $1000.00

Utterly Global - Stand up, Speak out ... End Bullying
http://antibullyingprograms.org/

"Let's Be Friends" Early Childhood Bullying Prevention Program
(Pre-K-2) The early years of a child's life are crucial for healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development. This programs shows how to incorporate a bully-free message in the classroom by encouraging tolerance, kindness, and bully-free behavior. The program is flexible and can be implemented in a variety of ways. Lessons cover the following topics: Friendship, The Players (bullies, target/victim, bystander), Being Mean/Bullying, Tattling and Telling, Celebrating Differences, Becoming a "Stand Upper," Make a Promise (A good behavior pledge).
Program components include parent education, reinforcement activities for home, interactive activities, songs, and other materials.

Virgil The Bully From Cyberspace Teacher's Edition & Book Elementary Curriculum Unit
(Grades 1-3) This curriculum uses the book Virgil: The Bully From Cyberspace to inform children about friendship and bullying prevention. The teacher's guide presents a lesson plan on an aspect of bullying for each of the nine chapters in the book. Each lesson outlines the key concepts of the chapter, its objective, and rationale. A reinforcement activity and other suggested follow-up activities are also part of each lesson. The parent component consists of a series of letters to send home for further discussion.

There's No Excuse For Peer Abuse Elementary School Program
(Grades 3-5) This unit is designed to teach students positive bystander behavior. Children learn respect and empathy in an effort to help create a positive and healthy school culture and climate. Topics include Types of bullying - cyber, social, physical, emotional, bias based; becoming a positive bystander without putting yourself or anyone else in danger; what to do if you're bullied; Internet safety; How not to become a target; The difference between bullying and conflict, The difference between ratting and reporting; and how to create a bully-free environment

Stand Up - Speak Out Program and Project
(Grades middle school and up) Stand Up - Speak Out is designed specifically for middle school-age students. The program teachings students and practices protective and coping skills, how to make good choices, socially responsible decisions, and staying engaged in school. Topics include the elements of bullying, barriers to speaking up, the importance of activating the bystander, strategies to prevent becoming a target of bullying, strategies for safe intervention, and steps to responsible decision making.

Bullying. Ignorance is No Defense
This manual utilizes best practices as suggested by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to help students understand the risks involved to themselves and others when it comes to bullying. The goal of the program is to train youth to use alternative methods to resolve problems rather than using bullying behaviors and to educate them about bullying, bias-based offenses, and hate crimes. Providing students with opportunities to understand the seriousness of their behavior and practicing appropriate problem-solving strategies reduces the likelihood of them repeating bullying behavior.

Ordering Information: Order online at https://antibullyingprograms.org/evidence-based-anti-bullying-projects/
Cost: $175.00 per curriculum