Start by dividing the kids into groups of 4 or 5 students. Have each group write their own short skit about one of the following subjects:

• Bullying
• Gossip & its aftermath
• Peer dynamics involving a popular girl, a kid who acts tough, a shy kid, and an outcast; or any other peer roles they think exist in the school.

Give them a day or two to write their script. They will also perform as the actors. Have them perform their skits in front of the class, and afterwards ask the rest of the students to share what ran through their minds as they watched. Particularly:

• What hidden motivations might be present?
• What are some characters thinking but not saying?
• What do you think about each character in the script?

The point of this exercise is to get kids to adopt the different perspectives and expose the underbelly of bullying. Through these discussions that come afterwards, it often reveals to kids that their antics may not work as well as they think they do, or that others can see right through a bully’s behavior to the insecurities behind it. It also lets potential bullies know that when they act cruel, others may be thinking unkindly of them, even if they don’t say it.