Friendship and Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Aged 5-11 to Cope with Bullying [Paperback]

Signe Whitson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2011 | ISBN-10: 184905875X | ISBN-13: 978-1849058759 | Edition: 1

Long before most school programs begin anti-bullying campaigns, young girls are getting a full education in social aggression. Girls as young as age five are experiencing acts of bullying, disguised as friendship, that shake the carefully laid foundations of their self-image, personal values, and beliefs about peer relationships.

Based on thought-provoking discussions, engaging games, strength-discovering exercises, and confidence-boosting fun, the hands-on activities in Friendship and Other Weapons build critical knowledge and friendship survival skills such as:

· Recognizing the Red Flags of Girl Bullying
· Responding Assertively to Bullying Behavior
· Realizing Personal Strengths
· Becoming an Ally to Others Facing Bullying
· Resolving Conflicts Directly
· Using Technology and Social Media Ethically

This photocopiable resource book provides educators, social workers and counsellors with a complete, ready-to-use group curriculum to help young girls aged 5 11 build constructive and fulfilling friendships.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Friendship and Other Weapons has a wealth of new activities that teach young girls how to navigate the dark side of friendship and stand up to bullying. With clear, simple instructions and powerful points to make about friendship and aggression, this curriculum is a must have for anyone working with young girls. I can't wait to try out some of the activities!'-- Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls'Want a proven way to help girls feel powerful enough to stand up to friendship bullies? This is it. Theavariety of activities reaches girls with different learning styles. The positive approach equips both parents and teachers with the tools they need to help girls assertively call out and reject friendship bullying.'-- Nancy Gruver, Founder, New Moon Girls magazine and online community, www.newmoon.com'Friendship and Other Weapons is a wonderful resource for educators, counseling professionals, parents, and group leaders who wish to address bullying and instil pro-social friendship skills in girls ages 5--11. I highly recommend it.'--Trudy Ludwig, best-selling author of My Secret Bully

About the Author

Signe Whitson is a licensed social worker and Chief Operating Officer of the Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) Institute, USA, an international certification program that trains adults in helping children and youth with chronic patterns of self-defeating behaviour. Signe has over ten years' experience working as a staff trainer and therapist for children and adolescents in individual, family, group, and school settings. She presents across the United States on topics related to child and adolescent mental health. She is the author of How to Be Angry: An Assertive Anger Expression Group Guide for Kids and Teens (Jessica Kingsley Publishers).

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (November 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184905875X
• ISBN-13: 978-1849058759
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.6 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #242,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Signe Whitson is a licensed social worker, author, and educator with more than 14 years of experience working with children, teens, and families.

She presents customized professional and parent training workshops nationwide on topics related to girl bullying, anger in children, changing passive aggressive behavior, crisis intervention, and child and adolescent mental health.

In her articles, books, and training workshops, Signe provides down-to-earth, practical advice for navigating the daily challenges of living and working with children, tweens and teens. As a mother of two young daughters, Signe relates to parents on a personal level.

Signe is the Chief Operating Officer of the Life Space Crisis Intervention Institute, a nationally recognized, professional training and certification program for turning crisis situations into learning opportunities for children and youth with chronic patterns of self-defeating behaviors.

She is the author of three books, including:

GIRL BULLYING:

Friendship & Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Ages 5-11 to Cope with Bullying

ANGER IN CHILDREN:

How to Be Angry: An Assertive Anger Expression Group Guide for Kids and Teens

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR:

The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive Aggressive Behavior in Families, Schools, and Workplaces, 2nd ed.



If you would like more information at any time, please e-mail Signe at [e-mail], follow her on Twitter @SigneWhitson, read her articles on The Huffington Post or Psychology Today, or "Like" her on Facebook.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Roadmap to an Open Heart March 16, 2012

By Jim Natural, Ohiopyle PA

Format:Paperback

I have some experience working with kids. This book combines two of my favorite approaches--group process and experiential activities. What I think is most valuable to people who may not be familiar with those approaches or who would, perhaps, not list them as their "favorites" is that the book is written to provide help with two of the most confounding variables of both groupwork and experiential programming.

With groupwork, the persistent challenge is to present concepts in a way that the group believes these ideas were their own discovery. It doesn't work to say "Today in group we're going to learn about empathy" and then robotically march through the lesson plan. Guiding the discussion and keeping the final outcome in sight while making gentle steering corrections requires the facilitator to have skill and experience. The lessons are clear, well-structured and prescriptive enough that the facilitator who may not be confident with his/her own skills and experience level can deliver without stress (and thereby gain a little more confidence).

With experiential programming, the challenge is always to present activities in a sequential progression so that the group sees the relationship between the abstract concepts and the physical metaphors. The lessons are already sequentially designed. The hard part is already done.

Most importantly, though, the lessons and activities provided in Friendship and Other Weapons are designed to address the issue of "bullying" in the only way, in my opinion, that is effective--by replacing erroneous beliefs and selfish values (manifestations of a coercive and power-based culture) with empathy and tolerance in the hearts of individual young people. The book is a roadmap for individual kids to discover the joy of an open heart. When young people engage each other in a small group setting, they cannot help but see and celebrate what they all have in common. And they cannot help but recognize and attempt to understand differences. This is a metaphor in a distilled context for what all citizens should strive to do in our society at large.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have Resource! February 23, 2012

By Meredith White-McMahon EdD

Format:Paperback

Signe Whitson has done it again! Friendship and Other Weapons is an incredible bullying/friendship resource and a must for anyone working with young girls. The 12-session program is beautifully laid out in a step-by-step fashion making the facilitator's job much easier. Each session helps young girls understand the nature of real friendship through engaging and realistic activities, games, role-plays, and thought-provoking discussions. While suggested for girls aged 5 - 11, this program could easily be used right through the middle school years. The supplementary activities - Preparing Girls for a Social Media World - are excellent providing a better understanding of how technology can affect friendships and impact their lives. If all young girls had the opportunity to experience the benefits of this program, their world would be a better place.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant Resource January 10, 2012

By lisa

Format:Paperback

Signe Whitson has created a masterpiece. This easy to follow and completely packaged group activity book will help any professional working with young girls. Each activity builds on the next, all the supplies one might need are explained. Most of what is needed is included in each activity for copying. Whitson includes parents in each step and has created a letter to parents introducing each topic and in some of the letters requesting their follow up and/or input. It is a soup to nuts resource that delivers on each listed goal that Whitson has carefully and deliberately laid out. These are fun activities meant to help young girls learn that the power of positive messages and friendships far outweighs the short term laughs of hurting others. If you are looking for something that is different, engaging and fun look no further - this is it.

I've worked with kids - little ones and big ones- my entire 28 year career. This book is a treasure.