Empower Girls Group Counseling

***Please Note***My Get to Know You Conversation Activity and Gossip and Rumors Airing Dirty Laundry Sort Activity are included in this group counseling download.

Relational Aggression is an all too common experience with students at school. From elementary school to high school, drama exists wherever there is a group dynamic. By talking about relational aggression and understanding the terms associated with it, can help students understand and have an active role in reducing such incidents. This download includes eight small group counseling sessions.

Session One: Get to Know You

Administer a Pre Survey Assessment to students in group.

Play a "Get to Know You" Icebreaker.

Establish group rules to create a space for sharing and growth.

Session Two: Understanding The Circle of Revenge

What is the Circle of Revenge?

1. Event: Something happens or keep happening. Gossip, excluding others, etc.

2. First Feelings: There is ALWAYS a first feeling before anger. Feelings such as disappointment, sadness, discouragement, hurt feelings, jealousy, etc. Recognizing this feeling can help students from going into the anger phase of the Circle of Revenge. Often times it is easier for a student to display anger than it is to admit they are embarrassed or feel disappointed about something. Working problems out at this phase can break the Circle of Revenge.

3. Anger: Being angry reduces the ability to think about anything else. The mind isn’t in the best condition of thinking clearly in order to resolve conflicts successfully.

4. Revenge: the circle keeps going because students justify mean behavior as being acceptable. “She was mean to me first! I was just being mean back.” This keeps the circle going around and around. Friendships can dissolve and negative behavior continues.

Session Three: Positive/Negative Friendship Characters

Students will be introduced to negative and positive friendship characters. Students will identify positive qualities within themselves and create a This is Me Craft.

Negative Characters:

Marge In Charge- Gets mad when others have a different opinion than her.

Gossiping Gabby- Likes the attention she gets by sharing information about others.

Better Off Bella- Is your friend until someone more popular becomes her friend.

Caught in the Middle Clara- Forced to pick who to play with at recess.

Everyone is Against Me Ellie- Thinks she is being treated unfairly all the time.

Tina Topper-Every story anyone tells, she can "top" it with a much more fantastic ending.

Positive Characters:

Perspective Taking Penelope- Considers how her actions affects the thoughts and feelings of others.

Work It Out Willa- Tries to work out problems with others when they first come up.

Supportive Sam- Can count on her through good times and bad.

Lift you Up Lucy- Uses kind words to encourage those around her.

Good Listening Gina- Gives you undivided attention when you are talking because she genuinely cares about what you have to say.

Session Four: Reducing Rumors/Gossip

Students will learn to recognize acceptable and unacceptable conversation topics as a way to reduce rumors and gossip.

Airing Your Dirty Laundry Sort Activity

Discuss what "Airing Your Dirty Laundry" means. This phrase originates from wanting to keep dirty laundry (an analogy for secrets) away from public view.

Laundry Sort Activity:

Divide group into two teams. Each team will have a "Dirty Laundry" and "Clean Laundry" clothesline sheet. Lay out 40 articles of clothing with scenarios printed on top of them. If the article of clothing is a topic that is ok to discuss, place on "Clean Laundry" clothesline. If the article of clothing includes a topic that is not ok to discuss, place on "Dirty Laundry" clothesline. The team that gets eight positive and eight negative scenarios the quickest, wins the game.

**Includes editable clothing sheets to make your own scenarios.

Session Five: Perspective Taking

Students will understand that perspective taking is the act of perceiving a situation or understanding a concept from another alternate point of view, such as that of another individual.

Google and print optical illusions that include two pictures in one. **Please note** Due to copyright restraints, I am unable to include these pictures in the download.

Perspective Taking Worksheets:

Includes worksheets for single student and two person activity to help students see both perspectives in a problem.

Session Six: Healthy vs. Unhealthy Friendship Traits

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of positive and negative friendship traits.

Break the Circle of Revenge Game:

Use buttons as markers for game.

Roll the dice to move around the game board. The first person to reach the END, wins the game.

If the student lands on a:

Circle: Students gives one example of how the Circle of Revenge can be broken.

Character: Student must determine what the first feeling is.

Arrow: Student moves ahead one space.

Pick A Card: Student chooses a card and answers the question.

**Editable cards are included to make your own questions.

Session Seven: Fair/Unfair Conflict

Students will understand the difference of fair and unfair behavior in relationships with others.

Fair/Unfair Conflict Activity

Have group divided into pairs of two's. Using the referee sheet, students will take turns reading scenario cards and placing them in the correct fair/unfair space. The group that completes the activity the quickest, wins the game.

**Includes editable cards to make your own scenarios.

Session Eight: Review/Post Survey Assessment

Administer and collect data from Post Test Survey.

Review all materials from previous group sessions.

Play Friendship Bingo to review positive friendship traits.