Written by Neighborhood House

Sometimes life supplies the lesson plan.

When a boy in our youth program was targeted in a physical bullying incident this summer, the trained staff did what came naturally. First, they moved their group to a different site to help diffuse the situation. Then they turned the whole thing into a learning experience.

“Violence prevention is central to our mission of helping at-risk middle-school students avoid drug and criminal involvement,” says social worker, Erin C.. “Our kids have been learning about reactions to emotional triggers, and this incident, though unfortunate and frightening, was a real-life example of that.”

The 12 boys and girls participating in the summer program did role-playing exercises around positive and negative reactions to peer pressure, put-downs and bullying. The role-playing was videotaped to reinforce the learning. In light of the incident, they also reviewed the “Action/Reaction” lesson from the Chill & Spill curriculum, produced by the nonprofit organization Art with Heart. The curriculum uses art and positive self-expression to teach adolescents about triggers, feelings and choices.

“Our kids were really jarred by this incident,” Erin says. “But, in the end, they were able to step back and draw a life lesson from it. I’m proud of them.”