The Psychology of Bullies
Using a Film Clip from "17 Again"
Subject: Health (Bullying)
Ages: 14+; High School
Length: Clip: 4 minutes, 15 seconds; Lesson: 30 minutes.
Excerpts from the Complete Snippet Lesson Plan
Overview: The short film clip and the suggestions for classroom activities contained in this Snippet Lesson Plan are intended to supplement a larger lesson on bullying. They will provide a change of pace and add media to the lesson.
Learner Outcomes/Objectives: Students will be introduced to the psychology of bullies.
Rationale: 15 - 25% of students report being bullied. Considered by some to
be an epidemic, bullying is often commonplace in school settings. It can cause physical, mental, and emotional damage. The first step in building a school culture that resists bullying is to help students understand the psychology of bullies.
Description of the Film Clip: The best time of Mike's life was when he was the star of the high school basketball team, on track to earn a college scholarship, and totally in love with his girlfriend. Except that they got her pregnant and then they married. Mike had to drop out of school and get a job — no scholarship and no college for Mike. Now, about seventeen years later, Mike is out of shape, unemployed, and alienated from his high-school-aged-son and daughter. In addition, his wife has filed for divorce. One day, as Mike bitterly regrets his decision to forgo the basketball scholarship and his education, an angel appears offering him the opportunity to do it all over, to be "17 again."
Back in his 17-year-old body and with a new identity, Mike re-enrolls in his old school, now attended by his children. However, Mike soon realizes that the second chance he has been given is to be the father that he never was and to help his kids out of their various difficulties. Specifically, his son is being bullied by the star of the basketball team who is also dating and trying to seduce Mike's daughter.
The clip shows a scene in which Mike confronts the bully in the cafeteria, humiliating him, and providing an introduction to the psychology of bullies.
USING THE FILM CLIP IN THE CLASSROOM
1. Review the film clip and make sure it's suitable for the class. Review the materials referenced below and decide whether to integrate them into a lesson plan on bullying.
2. Cue the DVD so that the clip starts immediately. Make sure that all necessary materials are available.
Step by Step
The Snippet Lesson Plan will then assist in a discussion that will analyze whether Mike's evaluation of the bully is accurate, giving the class insight into the psychology of bullies.
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The humiliation of the bully in 17 Again provides an interesting opportunity for teachers.
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