Abstract of Paper to be Presented at Accio 2005
Expecto Patronum!: Anti-Bullying and Defense Against the Dark Arts for Muggles
Milton Keynes Anti-Bullying Network's project to teach Middle School children assertiveness techniques using Muggle Magic
Julia Collar
Very few Middle School children haven't heard of Harry Potter, and if they haven't read the books then they've almost certainly seen the films, so the world of Hogwarts, magic, and larger-than-life villains and monsters is a familiar context. More than this, Harry Potter's world is one where children can usually be sure that their 'good' heroes will always win out, no matter how scared or how overwhelming the events they live through may seem. Children long to be in that world so Anti-Bullying Project Worker, Julia Collar, decided to take them there!
Using a combination of assemblies and circle time sessions structured around personality tests, Protective Behaviours, assertiveness techniques, and self-defence Julia has taken her unique brand of anti-bullying work to more than 5000 children in Milton Keynes to date. Children are encouraged to tap into their Muggle powers and discover how, even without real magic, they can still banish Boggarts (bullies who hurt your feelings) and Dementors (bullies who hurt your body).
Finding new ways to engage children with awareness of bullying can often be difficult as they often assume that bullying is something that only affects other people; effective anti-bullying work should, ideally, reach everyone as while one in five children will be bullied during their school life, the other four are almost certain to witness bullying even if they are not directly involved in it themselves. While a majority of anti-bullying resources used in UK schools are very good at explaining what bullying is and why it happens, there are very few that help children learn what to do if they are hurt by someone else's behaviour; a hurtful behaviour could be bullying, but it could equally be an argument with a friend or family member.
Not knowing what to do when hurt by others can leave children feeling alone, powerless, weak and stupid; the long-term effects of this can contribute to low self-esteem, communication difficulties, depression, and academic underachievement. Early intervention that focuses on giving children a repertoire of practical skills and techniques they can use to help themselves and others has been proved to be key contributing factors in building positive emotional and mental health, self-image, and ambition.
This paper will explore the effectiveness of the world of Harry Potter as a one-step-removed conceptual space children can use to learn about bullying, and provides case study material of Muggle Magic in action!
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