 This lesson is about gossiping, bullying, rumors, well like a whole bunch of stuff really and it's based on a video called Message Sent. That's a video that was written and produced by a group of young people down in Cornwall and I was lucky enough to work with them to understand why they created the film and what they thought were the important questions that young people should be exploring and so I created this lesson with their input and their ideas based on what they thought mattered. I hope you'll find that it's stuff that matters to you too, that it helps you ask some important and interesting questions and then it gives you some ideas about how to maybe do things a little bit differently in the future. So let's start by watching the film. As you watch it I'd like you just to think about what's happening, why and how could things things maybe have turned out differently. Okay let's roll the film. Now you've seen the film we're going to re-watch some of the specific parts of the film and explore them in a bit more depth and try and understand what's going on here and how could things have been different. Okay so let's start at the end. So at the end of the film we rewind right back to the beginning and we see that actually things could have worked out differently so let's just refresh on that bit and I want you just to think about how things have worked out differently in this different scenario. Now we've had a chance to think about how things worked out differently in this instance. I want you to think about were there other times in the film where maybe things could have turned out differently if someone did or said something different when were those moments and how could things have been. Okay we're going to roll the next clip now this is the bit where the notes being passed in class. Now reflecting on that clip I want you to have a think about this from the different points of view of different people in the room how do you think the bully is feeling how is the victim feeling and how are the bystanders feeling and what could or should the bully, the victim and the bystanders have done next. The next clip is a really short one it's a conversation between Jackson and Grace who are the main characters that the film centres around. It's short but I think it's really important. How did you do that? You didn't do anything. So I want you to think in your groups now about how else could this conversation have gone between Grace and Jackson. What could Jackson have said or done differently and what could Grace have said or done differently here. And here's what one of the young people who was involved in the filming thought about this. I really think Jackson the character should have supported Grace a lot more through the tough time because he simply assumed that it was her fault rather than listening to her and he could have stuck by her when the other girls came to confront her but he let those rumours continue when he could have easily put them to rest and I think that he really should have asked her if she was okay at least and maybe apologised for assuming the worst of her but he just let her spiral into this kind of pit of despair and I think he was supposed to be our friend and I just think he wasn't there when she truly needed him to be. Throughout the film there are several times when there are bystanders so people who are kind of observing the bullying and the gossiping happening but they don't actually intervene so they're just standing by. So I want you to think now is there a difference between a bystander who's watching the bullying happening and the bully and here's what one of the young people who was involved in the filming thought about this question. A bystander can be as bad as a bully because they're still hurting the victim nonetheless but not directly, they're indirectly hurting them by seeing what's happening sometimes and not telling anyone and the first victim who's being bullied might see them and think oh this might get better but it never does. Thinking a bit more about the bystander thing why do you think it might be difficult for someone who is a bystander to intervene in a way that might be appropriate? What might stop them? Why is it hard to do the right thing? And here's what one of the young people who was involved in the filming thought about this. The bystander might not tell because they feel like the bully if they tell they might class it as snitching and they might start to bully them and then someone won't tell for them so they're scared inside not to tell. And finally on the theme of bystanders what is the right thing to do? What could or should a bystander do in this situation? What could you do if you were in this situation? And here's what one of the young people who was involved in the filming thought about this question. As a bystander you should tell someone you can trust maybe an adult or teacher who can help things get better or just try and talk to the victim and see what's going wrong and maybe talk to the victim's parents if they can speak to the bully's parents maybe to help them. As a bystander you could also step in to stop it before it comes a problem and help the victim even if you don't know them just to stop them from getting bullied. Also as a bystander you could go out of your way to find out why the victim is being bullied and what's happened. The film ends with this idea is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? What do you think is meant by that? Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? How could you apply this in your kind of life? And here's what one of the young people who was involved in the filming thought about this. Rumours can ruin friendships very easily. I can't number the amount of times I've heard people in our year breaking up or using friendships purely because of a rumour. Sometimes when people mis-consume, misinterpret or take things out of context, issues it can result in people being mistreated or misunderstood. It can easily result in a broken up friendship purely because someone didn't listen or didn't understand or didn't check the facts. Make your speech truthful because it can be the most important thing in any discussion. Slacking off people can be really fun you feel better about yourself and you get to criticise someone for who they are. However, it's not kind, it's not productive, it's not helpful and it's not fair. Again, sometimes people misunderstand or take things out of context and easily result in friendships being ruined again. Whether or not it was deliberate people can misinterpret things and slacking off does nothing to help this. It is fun but it's not fair on the person who can't explain their point of view. Make your speech kind. Gossip can also be fun but it most likely doesn't concern you. In the majority of cases you've just found someone who's doing something wrong that you've heard about. Yes, point out things that are wrong in society and stand up for yourself and that always matters but not when it's small pieces of gossip because people again can be mistreated and misunderstood. Make your speech necessary. Finally, I want you to take a few minutes to think about what you might do differently as a result of watching the film today. We're going to use the structure of stop, start, continue, change. So what's something that as a result of the discussions in this lesson you might stop doing, you're not going to do any more in future. What's something you're going to start doing? Something you've not done in the past in the future? What's something you're going to continue doing? So something that you noticed from the discussions today that you already do well, that you're proud of that you would like to do more of in the future and then change. What's something that you're going to do still do but do in a slightly different way in future? So stop, start, continue, change. Have a think about which of those you can write something for as a result of the lesson today. I hope you found this lesson interesting and helpful. I think the pupils down in Chatharis did a great job putting together the film and then working with me to kind of raise some really good questions for you to explore in your lesson. It could potentially have churned up some slightly tricky stuff for you. Maybe you're worried about yourself or a friend. Your teacher can outline great sources of support for you available in school or locally but I can also recommend Childline, the Samaritans or the Shout Crisis Text Line as great sources of anonymous and confidential support should you need them. And remember if you are worried about yourself or a friend you can always talk to a trusted adult in school who will be able to support and guide you if you're ready to chat face to face. Thanks so much and remember is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Okay, goodbye.