Empowering Students in Pentwater Michigan to Stop Abuse & Bullying

We had a great time in Pentwater Michigan this week! The children's K-6 workshop was phenomenal! The games and interaction fun and hilarious!

Our program is fun, that's for sure! But while we have fun, we're sending a bigger message to students!

Many of these volunteers (above) are shaking maraccas. Two of them don't have anything. I asked them how they felt. They said, "Sad, and left out." So I asked the students with the instruments to demonstrate kindness and share with the ones who didn't have any. How quickly smiles poured onto these precious faces. We empower students to accept others and include them. 

These students (above) demonstrated how quickly what we say can turn into gossip. Words hurt, words heal, but words can even kill. So we empower students to zip their lips unless they have something nice to say. We also educate students on what to do when bullied "ASKING FOR HELP" is way different than tattling and we explain the difference. 

Cyber Bullying is huge, via text, picture, email, or facebook (fakebook)! In this demonstration (below), one of the high school students came forward and participated to show that if I took a picture of him and sent it to all his friends, they'd send it to their friends, and on and on, until the whole world had this picture he didn't want to share. We empower students to BEWARE of the information they SHARE and to REPORT any cyberbullies right away!

I'm sure you're aware of the statistics by now: 160,000 kids in the USA fear going to school every day due to bullying. In 85% of school bullying there is no intervention. And 1 teen dies every 30 minutes due to bullying and bullycide.

Bullying and bullycide are running rampant all over the USA. Sadly, today the bully often has more power than those being bullied. Abuse Bites CHANGE rally's empowers students to regain the power in their own lives to make the CHANGE that is needed to put a stop to bullying. 

This Pentwater middle school student (below) faced a fear in our "FEAR FACTOR" game, to demonstrate to other students that it's hard to stand up for yourself or others and do something scary when you're all alone, but it can be done! Yay! Go Pentwater!

However, we empower students to stand together--not to be singled out and stand alone! We share our inspiring stories of how we overcame abusive and bullying situations, and use updated statistics, student demonstrations, and interactive games to drive the message home.

Statistics today tell us that there is typically 1 bully to every 7 students in the school. Below is a photo of our "TUG O WAR GAME". Our bully is on one end, six students on the other. Guess who wins?

There is power in numbers--if those other 6 simply STAND TOGETHER, they will defeat the bully every time. Too many times we're giving the bully the audience and not backing the target or victim. When we asked for volunteers, hands shot up all over the gym (below)! Eager to participate and eager to stop bullying! A great day for sure!

Pictured below is Baby Ruth, our "Bully" Dog. She is absolutely the worst dog we ever had. She chewed up everything, wouldn't potty train, and was very aggressive toward other people and pets. She even ran away from me when I was calling her and got hit by a car at a year old. However, since I worked harder with her, disciplined her, loved her, and didn't give up on her, she CHANGED and was a better dog. By sharing her story, we explain how "bullying is just a behavior" that can "change" with the right help.

Empowering Bullies to CHANGE! Her outfit reads "Paws for CHANGE".

At the end of our workshop, we encourage all students whether they were victims/targets, bystanders, or bullies before, to make a CHANGE and be different now! 98% of all students came forward to declare the CHANGE to stop bullying in their school and community! Isn't that amazing?!

If you would like to bring this empowering change to your school, church, work place, or community, please contact: 

Lisa Freeman, CEO of Abuse Bites

AbuseBites.com

989-729-214

K-6th Graders Paws for CHANGE to Stop Bullying

(Snickers AKA "The Bully Buster" giving some Pet Therapy before the workshops!)

We had a great day in Flint at the Richfield Public School Academy on Friday! Lloyd Dockham (below in center), the Social Worker, as well as many other teachers and helpers, worked very hard along side us to put this anti-bullying rally together very quickly. And all the hard work paid off!

Students were so excited, very eager to participate, and upbeat and motivated throughout the whole presentation.

(pictured below 4th-6th graders)

(below K-3rd graders)

K-3 rd Graders Interact (below) with Puppets to display how we are all different, but yet alike. Two of the TAZ puppets look like identical twins, but if you look closely you can tell their eyes and tongue are just a little bit different. We teach kids to look for the likenesses, not the differences in others. 

Acceptance is Key to conquering bullying!

A very special 4th Grader, Alaina Griffith (pictured below), actually won these free anti-bullying workshops for her school, by entering a contest we had over the summer, sponsored by Big John Steak & Onion. Way to go Alaina!



These students (below) demonstrated how spreading rumors, giving someone the silent treatment, and/or whispering in front of others is really "social bullying" and can be hurtful. Words can heal or words can kill--please choose your words carefully!

These 4th-6th grade students (pictured below) participated in a group demonstration to prove that we may all look somewhat different, but we are more alike than we are different, and best of all, no matter what little differences we do have, we have the same value and worth!

These boys put on a little skit to demonstrate how you can bully someone by being a bystander or someone who just walks away.

This girl was embarrassed about making a silly face in front of everyone. We demonstrated how it would be even more embarrassing if I had taken a picture of her and sent it to all her friends, they sent it to all their friends, and pretty soon the whole world would know. We talked about Internet & Cell Phone Bullying, not to share personal information with others. 80% of cyber bullies think it's funny to hurt someone online! We share how facebook is really FAKEBOOK. Anyone can pretend to be any age, any sex, and can hurt us!

Students played an interactive game of Who Wants to Take The Bully Down to display what four options they each have in a bullying situation. What would you do? Fight Back, Call 9-1-1, Ask For Help, or Run Away... 

Students (below) also demonstrated how to "get rid of labels" that other people put on them. They are laughing at all the things that were posted on each others backs. But when this is done in real life, these labels are like daggers piercing the very heart and the mind of each child!

This was our bully today in a game of tug o war. Her against 6 others. Who do you think won? You do the math! It says that 1 out of 7 students are the bully. We teach the six others a more positive way to defeat the bully! We'd love to come to your school and next event to show you. 

Too many schools and communities are letting the bullies win! No! Let's teach kids how to defeat bullying for good!

Our formerly abuse, rescue dog, Snickers, AKA "The Bully Buster" sniffed out a bully, our other dog, Baby Ruth, (below), AKA "THE BULLY" (our worst dog). However, she has Changed her bullying behaviors. I was a bully too and changed. So we share our stories, and how bullying is simply a behavior not who a person is, and that anyone can change with the right help. This empowers all students (whether they are targets/victims, bystanders, or bullies) to make a change and be different--to be a Bully Buster!

 

Baby's outfit (below) reads "PAWS FOR CHANGE!"

Students all over the gym gave the "thumbs up" sign as a statement to say that they were going to change their actions and be the change in their school and community to stop bullying.

Thumbs up to you Richfield Public School Academy in Flint, Michigan, for making the Change and Being the Change to Stop Bullying! 

For more information on bringing the CHANGE to your school, upcoming event, church, or community, please contact Lisa Freeman or check out her website @ AbuseBites.com 

Written by: Lisa Freeman, Michigan Bully Expert

Lifelong Abuse Survivor & Advocate

CEO & Founder of Abuse Bites & A Time to Heal

The Healing Projects Specialist for the Bully Police USA

Award-Winning Author

AKC Dog Trainer & Certified Pet Therapist

Kids & Teens Stand Up to Bullying in Chesaning Michigan

Yesterday we presented our Abuse Bites Anti-Bullying Program to nearly 500 Students in the Chesaning Michigan Middle School. This was just half of the crowd! And it was an awesome time! These students learned how to stand up to bullying.

(Faces are blurred due to FERPA laws)

This is Snickers (below), our 13 year old Fox Terrier/Jack Russel who was a formerly abused/runaway that I rescued 12 years ago. He's the mascot of our program (AKA "The Bully Buster") and an award-winning certified pet therapy dog. Together we've raised over $20,000 for needy/abused people and pets of our community! When I shared his motivating story, the crowd went wild!  Kids loved on him the whole time we were there. (below) Sadly, he is barely getting around these days due to cancerous tumors, but perked up when he knew he was going to an event. 

Kids were very anxious to volunteer for all of our interactive games and demonstrations. My volunteer Amber had a tough job choosing. But everyone had a great time! (below)

We talked about accepting those who are different (gay, obese, those with disabilities). Giving them the freedom to make their own choices and accepting them for who they are. That we don't have to agree with them, but we should never bully them. The fact is, we are more alike than different, if we would really take a close look! The biggest factor is that we all have the same VALUE! (below)

These five boys helped me to put on a bullying skit. The two to my far left were joking/teasing the little guy in the orange, while the boy to my right kind of smirked and watched, while the other boy to my far right simply walked away. Proving that BYSTANDERS can be bullies too if they don't do something to help. (below)

We talked about REPORTING BULLYING versus tattling. Tattling is when you are trying to get someone in trouble, Reporting is when you are trying to get someone out of trouble! And also the four choices you have when bullied. Will you fight back, call 9-1-1 (report it), ask the audience (bystanders/friends for help), or take the 50/50 and run away. (below)

Kids Cheered & Clapped as students raised each card. But I think "Fight Back" won. Although we do fight back, I shared that it is not physically, but it is by standing up for yourself and others, and reporting so you can get the help needed. 80% of students don't report bullying, so therefore nothing is ever done to stop it. (below) 

The students cheered even more, after my son, Jeremiah sang his original song "Just A Shadow". Jeremiah was nearly bullied to death in high school, now he writes and sings songs to help others. (below)

This is Baby Ruth (below), AKA "The Bully" in our program. She was the WORST DOG we ever had, but with love, discipline, and training, she is so much better! We share her story of PAWS FOR CHANGE and how anyone (even the bully) can change with the right help! After all bullying is a behavior, not who a person is!

This is another hilarious game/demonstration we do with kids. Our Dime Game is very popular and shows kids that "pranking someone" can be bullying too. We also share that sometimes those bullying don't realize it's bullying, that's why they have to be told their behavior is wrong. (below)

We try to make our workshops fun, interactive, and educational for everyone--even those we use for our bullying demonstrations! (below)

We talk about good versus bad choices. Here I have a bottle of "dirty water" and a bottle of "clean water". We ask which the kids would drink from. Of course they choose the "clean water". We explain how if something appears to be a little wrong, it's wrong and we shouldn't do it. But if we do make bad choices we will have to drink the consequences. (below)

I use Snickers and his love for GARBAGE as a demonstration. I tell them how many times he's ran away and has gotten into the garbage and comes home later so sick he nearly dies. Then I ask, "Why do we go back to the same garbage friendships and relationships that are bringing us down?"

This is our most popular game. Our hot dog game gets the whole crowd laughing, but it also gives them a visual about PEER PRESSURE, that it's like the blind feeding the blind. I ask them what they should say to Peer Pressure and they all shout "NO!" (below)

We captured these students in the front row! That's what I like the most, if the kids are in, we win! It's all about keeping their attention throughout the entire program. I don't like boring and don't want to do boring. (below)

I know, I'm having way too much fun! This is supposed to be work, right? Love working with kids and interacting in a way that is fun for everyone. (below)

This is just one section of the crowd--even the teachers are laughing hysterically! (below)

Our telephone game is also a lot of fun, while teaching the importance of our words. Words can hurt or heal, so think before you speak! We also talk about SOCIAL BULLYING and how friends spread rumors to ruin other friends or x-friends reputations. (below)

This young man got the first part right "Zip Your Lips". That's pretty good compared to what we usually get. That's how gossip is, you forget what someone told you so you make up your own juicy story to go with it, then others do the same, until its so distorted there isn't much truth in it.

These students came forward and turned their back to the crowd and were labeled with negative words. That's what people often do, put labels on us. We tell them no matter who they are, they are unique, wonderful individuals and there is no one like them. So they removed the labels and everyone cheered! (below)

Nearly all 500 Students made their way to the Gym Floor for our "Change Challenge". We empower targets, bystanders, and bullies to make a change and Be The Change, to stop bullying for themselves and others. (below)

1 out of 7 kids bully others. In our game of Tug O War, our bully stands alone, while 6 other kids are on the other end ready to pull her to her defeat. This teen volunteered to be the bully. When I asked her if she thought she'd win, she said, "NO!" She was right! (Below)

But we don't teach the kids to pull on the rope, we tell them to simply stand together and let go, then the problem will be defeated. Too many times, like her, the victims are singled out. Stand with others to defeat bullying!

Can you imagine if the 160,000 kids that missed school every day for fear of bullying actually stood together against their bully? It would be the biggest CHANGE CHALLENGE YET!

Below is Mr. Jerry Ciarlino, Counselor at the school, ushered the event in. He's such a great guy! It's been a pleasure working with him and all the faculty at Chesaning Middle School! Thanks Jerry!

We'd love to come to your school, church, work place or community to defeat bullying too. Please include us when planning your next event. :) 

Written by: Lisa Freeman, Michigan Anti-Bullying Expert, Advocate & Survivor

CEO of Abuse Bites, Healing Projects Specialist Bully Police USA

Email/Contact Lisa Freeman

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