Healthy Communication and Bullying Prevention: A Peer Education Program for Secondary Students

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Suffolk County Department of Health Service’s Office of Health Education developed a novel peer education program for high school students. Aligned with National Health Education Standards and Dignity Act guidance, it teaches students to become upstanders in their school community. It is called “Healthy Communication and Bullying Prevention: A Peer Education Program for Secondary Schools.” It is a training program for high school students who will then take the lessons learned into the middle and elementary schools in their districts to positively influence those students on connection, tolerance, simple responses to bullying and upstander empathy (versus bystander apathy). High school students are also prepared to interact as upstanders within their own age group, modeling high character and civility, making their schools a more positive and safer place to learn and develop. The program focuses on giving students practical techniques and practice handling aggression, standing up for those targeted by aggression and sending ripple effects of positive connection into the school community as trained upstanders. This 8-15 session program uses non-theatrical applied improvisation group exercises to engage students in fun games with a built in lesson that helps them develop relationship skills associated with emotional intelligence, listening, empathy and spontaneity. It can be utilized by any interested school district.