Books and films can spark positive discussion about difficult subjects. With Anti-Bullying Week approaching, why not incorporate some of these recommended resources into your sessions to teach kids about bullying?
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Golding’s classic novel follows a group of young boys who are left stranded on an island after a plane crash. In the absence of any authority, the boys are left to construct their own society whichleads to devastating consequences.
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
This psychological and social novel depicts a teenage boy who commits a horrific crime after having endured bullying at school.
Cat’s Eye, Margaret Atwood
When Elaine Risley returns to her hometown of Toronto, it sparks memories of her childhood and the three girls who damaged her self-esteem. This is a story in which the lines between victims and oppressors blur and in which forgiveness becomes an act of gaining power.
A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness
A Monster Calls charts the life of Conor, a boy who is tackling a terrible grief and finds no respite at school, where he’s mercilessly bullied by his classmates. When he is visited by a ‘monster’, what follows is a psychological journey that forces him to face his ‘truth’.
My life as a courgette (PG)
This heartfelt animation follows a young boy, Zucchini, after the death of his mother. Sent to a foster home to live with other orphans, he struggles to find his place in a strange and hostile environment.
Depicting the potential dangers of the internet, Cyberbully follows a teenager who is bribed by a computer hacker to do his bidding. If she refuses, the hacker threatens to leak compromising photos of her to the public.
Handsome devil (15)
When an ostracised teenager and the school’s new rugby star-player become roommates at an Irish boarding school, they form an unlikely friendship that is tested by those around them.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (12A)
Outcast from society because of their special powers, the children of Miss Peregrine’s Home find strength in their differences.