Just Kidding: Hurtful or Harmless?

In fourth and fifth grade we read Just Kidding written by Trudy Ludwig.  This book tells the story of a student who is constantly teased by another student that thinks it’s okay to be hurtful and then say “just kidding.”

We began a discussion about how many of us have had something hurtful said to us, followed by the phrase “I was just kidding,” “I didn’t mean anything by it,” or “Can’t you take a joke?”  Then we brainstormed a list of how we know when something is good-natured teasing or hurtful teasing/bullying.  Finally students read different scenarios with a group and tried to figure out if the teasing that occurred was hurtful or harmless.  We discovered that it is a very gray area and depends on many variables.