Our #Elves are back for 2022 and are here to bring YOU information and support on a range of topics that are important to you!

Whether it is finding a job, accessing a sexual health clinic, learning about your human rights or knowing who to turn to for support our #Elves are here to help!

Watch their daily videos below and check back each day to learn something new!

Outcome:

Learn about prejudice and discrimination and discover how you can help challenge it!

At a glance:

• Learn what prejudice and discrimination mean.
• Learn why education and listening to others is important.
• Learn how to challenge prejudiced and discriminatory behaviour.

You will need:

• A piece of Paper.
• A Pen or Pencil.

What does prejudice, discrimination and stereotype mean?

You may hear the words prejudice, discrimination and stereotype often. They are closely related to each other because if someone is acting in a prejudiced or discriminatory way then they are usually basing their behaviour on stereotypes.

Let’s break each of them down.

Prejudice is an idea or opinion someone has about someone else that is not based on evidence or actual experience. When you act based on prejudice, you make up your mind about something and generalise, before fully knowing about it.

Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, sex, or disability.

A stereotype is an oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Some of the reasons that people might be discriminated against or treated unfairly is based on their age, gender, race, disability, religion or sexual orientation and this is because others are making assumptions about these groups and not basing their opinions on the facts or finding out about people’s lived- experiences.

A couple of ways to overcome prejudice and discrimination is through education and listening to others experiences.

• Education about identities, diversity, equality and human rights allows people to learn to respect others and celebrate differences.
• Exploring your own and others identities through talking can help people get to know you and help you get to know other people better.
• Equality is when all people are treated fairly and have the same opportunities. This is what we should aim for.

To get a better understanding of this, we will be drawing a house and answering some simple questions about it.

Draw a medium sized rectangle in the middle of your page. Inside the rectangle draw another rectangle for the door of the house and one rectangle for a window. Add a roof and a chimney.

After you’ve answered these questions, read on.
Q1. What do you think of this house?
Q2. Would you like to live in it?

Drawing continued… I forgot to give you some information about the house. Draw 3 more rectangular windows inside your house. Add a garage to the right, a conservatory on the left and a large garden to the front and back.

Q3. What do you think of the house now?
Q4. Would you live in it?

When someone is acting in a prejudiced way it means that they don’t have the full picture about someone or something. Making sure you find out all of the relevant information about someone or something can help you to see the full picture!

If you or someone you know has been discriminated against then challenging this unfair treatment can sometimes be difficult. If it has happened to you then you may feel hurt and upset and if you’ve witnessed it happening to someone else then you may feel like you don’t know much about the situation or like it’s not your place to say anything. Here’s some advice on how to speak out on issues of concern, how to get help and information about the laws that protect you from discrimination.

Discrimination can happen in person or online.
In either of these situations you should speak to a trusted adult for support and advice.
You can also:

• Raise awareness about discrimination and its effects by talking about it with your friends and family.
• Take part in awareness days.
• Be seen as an ally for those who are experiencing it.
• Hold schools and organisations accountable for discriminatory actions by writing them a letter or email.
• Report it anonymously to the police via a Third Party Reporting Centre or Online here.

Discriminatory behaviour is not only a form of bullying but it’s against the law. The Equality Act, which came into force on 1st October 2010, legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. If discriminatory behaviour is perceived by the victim, or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate in regards of race, sexual orientation, faith, disability, gender identity etc. the incident can become a hate incident or even a hate crime.

This means that it’s important to inform a responsible adult if you witness this type of behaviour.

If you’re in need of any more information or would like some support click here.

Time: 10 mins

Outcome:

Learn how to overcome peer-pressure.

At a glance:

• Learn what Peer-Pressure is.
• Learn how to Prove Yourself.

Peer Pressure.

You might hear this term thrown around a lot, but what is it and how does it affect me?

At one point or another, everyone has experienced peer pressure. We all want to fit in, and it can be easy to get pulled into doing something we wouldn’t normally do when our friends are around. Peer pressure is a term used to describe how your friends can influence the decisions you make. Everything from what you eat to what you wear to how you behave can be influenced by your peers in both a positive and negative way.

So, how do I overcome it?

Firstly, it’s important to remember that you have the control to make changes in your relationships, and choices over what you do and don’t do. When facing peer pressure, it can feel like you are a puppet on strings, being manipulated by other people and if this is the case, then you need to Prove Yourself:

P – Plan Ahead. Plan how you will respond to situations in advance.

R – Risk. Is it worth it?

O – Own. Would you do it yourself?

V – Voice. What is your inner voice telling you? If a trusted adult was there, what would they tell you to do?

E – Excuses and Exits. Make excuses to exit up in advance and use them if you need to.

Yourself – Think positively. You have just cut the strings holding you back and taken control of the situation. Be proud of yourself.

Proving Yourself and cutting the strings holding you back isn’t easy, but it is important. You should never be put in a position where you feel uncomfortable or ‘pressured’ into doing something you don’t want to do. You always have the choice to say no.

Next time you feel pressured, Prove Yourself.

Outcome:

Learn to be an ally to people experiencing bullying, and where to go if you need further support.

At a glance:

• Learn to Think, Feel & Do!
• Recognise where you can go for support if you need it.
• Develop coping strategies to help you when times are tough.

“You don’t have to like me, agree with me or enjoy spending time with me…but you do have to respect me!” – Respect Me Scotland

Bullying affects all of us in one way or another; you might have seen or heard something, supported someone through it or experienced it yourself. It can be difficult to know what to think, feel or do but there are always ways to get help and feel better.

So, what is bullying?

Bullying is a behaviour that can make people feel upset, scared, alone or left-out and happens both face to face and online. It can involve using words and actions to threaten or hurt someone including:

• Name-calling and teasing
• Being hit, punched, kicked or tripped
• Having personal possessions taken or damaged
• Being ignored or left out
• Having rumours spread about you

All of these things have a big impact on our physical and mental health, but whatever is going on right now, we are here to help you take back control and get life back on track.

For this activity you will need:

• A packet of sweets, a pen / pencil & a piece of paper.

Open your packet of sweets and take one out. What colour is it? For each different colour, complete one of the Think, Feel & Do activities below.

Think

• Red – For every red sweet, think of one thing that makes you angry. Shout this out loud or scream it into your pillow as loud as you can.
• Green – For every green sweet think of a place you enjoy spending time in outdoors. It could be a forest or a beach or a football pitch. Picture it, while you eat your sweet.

Feel

• Yellow – For every yellow sweet, write down one emotion you felt today. This could be anything from happy, to sad or angry. Once you have eaten all your yellow sweets, and written down how you felt for each one, tear up the paper into as many pieces as possible. Put the ripped paper in the bin and start the rest of your day on a clean sheet.
• Orange – For every orange sweet, place your fingers on your neck and find your pulse. Feel how fast or slow your heart is beating. Take a second and then eat your sweet.

Do

• Purple – For every purple sweet, listen to a song that makes you smile. Don’t pick out another sweet until the end of the song, so try to make the purple one last as long as you can. When you have no more purples left, put the songs together and create a playlist called Smile! Whenever you are feeling upset or hurt, listen to the playlist – by the end of it, you will be reminded of all the reasons to smile!
• Blue – For every blue sweet, decide on something you will do differently tomorrow. It could be a change to your morning routine, how you make breakfast or how you get to work / school – nothing is too small to change!

Bullying can make you feel low and like is no escape, so it is important to remember your worth. Use these activities to help release your feelings and start the rest of the day on a more positive note.

If you are currently experiencing bullying, speak to someone you trust – a friend, youth worker, parent or sibling, and report it (Childline if online.)

For more information or support with bullying, click here.