Owning Up

Rosalind Wiseman is the founder of Cultures of Dignity, an organization that shifts the way communities think about our physical and emotional well-being by working in close partnership with the experts of those communities—young people, educators, policy makers, and business and political leaders. Her other recent Corwin publication is Owning Up: Empowering Adolescents to Create Cultures of Dignity and Confront Social Cruelty and Injustice (2020), a comprehensive social justice program for grades 4-12 which is in widespread use across the world. She is the author of the New York Times Best Sellers Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World, the groundbreaking book that was the basis for the movie and Broadway Musical Mean Girls; and Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World, which addresses the social lives of boys and was awarded Best Parenting Book by Books for a Better Life.  Follow her on Twitter at @cultureodignity.

Foreword by Donna Hicks
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
6th Grade
Session 1: Getting Started—And (Hopefully) Not Wasting Your Time
Beach Ball Questions—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 2: Dignity and Respect—Words That Matter
Drawing Dignity and Respect—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 3: Listening to Each Other—Giving and Getting Advice
Ally—Sixth Grade Handout
Giving and Getting Advice—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 4: Just Kidding—Why Are We Really Laughing?
Session 5: Understanding Anger—Managing a Difficult Emotion
Anger and Your Brain—Sixth Grade Handout
Iceberg—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 6: SEAL—I Know What the Problem Is, but How Do I Fix It?
Applying SEAL—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 7: Apologies—What’s a True Apology?
True or Fake Apologies?—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 8: Friendships—Developing Good Friendships
Friendship Bill of Rights—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 9: Navigating Friend Groups—When Friendships Are Complicated
Session 10: They Said What?—How to Stop Rumors and Gossip
Session 11: When and How Do I Speak Out?—Building Empathy and Courage in Bystanders
Bystanding—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 12: Getting Out of the Box—Are We Boxed Into Gender Norms?
Session 13: Double Standards—Are People Being Treated Fairly?
Double Standards Scenarios—Sixth Grade Handout
Knowing What to Say—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 14: Understanding Advertising—What’s My Style?
Analyzing Ads—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 15: Getting Past the Products—The Influence of Advertising
Interview an Adult—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 16: The Mirror—How Do We See Ourselves? How Do We Want Others to See Us?
Session 17: Talking With Adults—How Do We Communicate Effectively?
Helping Adults—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 18: Managing Technology—It’s Not All Bad
I < 3 Technology—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 19: What Do You Share?—Deciding What to Post Online
What Do You Share?—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 20: Why Do You Share?—Knowing Why You Post Online
Pleasing the Invisible Audience—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 21: Do They Like Me?—Crushes and Rejection
This Stuff Is So Complicated!—Sixth Grade Handout
Session 22: Recognizing and Respecting Boundaries—How Far Is Too Far?
Session 23: Sexual Harassment—It’s Complicated
Session 24: Race and Bias—What Do We Really See?
Session 25: Race and Bias—Did I Say Something Wrong?
Session 26: Concluding the Program—Please Say You Learned Something!
I Am . . . —Sixth Grade Handout
7th Grade
Session 1: Getting Started—And (Hopefully) Not Wasting Your Time
Session 2: Dignity and Respect—Words That Matter
Drawing Dignity and Respect—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 3: Listening to Each Other—Giving and Getting Advice
Advice Situations—Seventh Grade Handout
Ally—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 4: Just Kidding—Why Are We Really Laughing?
Session 5: Understanding Anger—Managing a Difficult Emotion
Hiding and Showing Anger—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 6: SEAL—I Know What the Problem Is, but How Do I Fix It?
Session 7: Apologies—What’s a True Apology?
True or Fake Apologies?—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 8: Friendships—Developing Good Friendships
Friendship Bill of Rights—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 9: Navigating Friend Groups—When Friendships Are Complicated
Group Conflict—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 10: They Said What?—How to Stop Rumors and Gossip
Definition Game—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 11: When and How Do I Speak Out?—Building Empathy and Courage in Bystanders
Bystanding—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 12: Getting Out of the Box—Are We Boxed Into Gender Norms?
Session 13: Double Standards—Are People Being Treated Fairly?
Session 14: Understanding Advertising—What’s My Style?
Analyzing Ads—Seventh Grade Handout
What’s Authentic?—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 15: Getting Past the Products—How Does the Advertising Affect Me?
Are You a Walking Advertisement?—Seventh Grade Handout
Interview an Adult—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 16: The Mirror—How Do We See Ourselves? How Do We See Others?
The Armor Handout
Session 17: Talking With Adults—How Do We Communicate Effectively?
Helping Adults—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 18: Managing Technology—It’s Not All Bad
Session 19: What Do You Share?—Deciding What to Post Online
What Do You Share?—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 20: Why Do You Share?—Knowing Why You Post Online
Pleasing the Invisible Audience—Seventh Grade Handout
Thinking About What We Share—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 21: Do They Like Me?—Crushes and Rejection
This Stuff Is So Complicated!—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 22: Recognizing and Respecting Boundaries—How Far Is Too Far?
Thinking About Boundaries—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 23: Sexual Harassment—It’s Complicated
Session 24: Race and Bias—What Do We Really See?
What Do You Say?—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 25: Race and Bias—Did I Say Something Wrong?
I Really Don’t Know—Seventh Grade Handout
Session 26: Concluding the Program—Please Say You Learned Something!
I Am . . . —Seventh Grade Handout
8th Grade
Session 1: Getting Started—And (Hopefully) Not Wasting Your Time
Session 2: Dignity and Respect—Words That Matter
Drawing Dignity and Respect—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 3: Listening to Each Other—Giving and Getting Support
Ally—Eighth Grade Handout
Support Network—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 4: Just Kidding—Why Are We Really Laughing?
Session 5: Understanding Anger—Managing a Difficult Emotion
Understanding Anger—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 6: SEAL—I Know What the Problem Is, but How Do I Fix It?
Session 7: Apologies—What’s a True Apology?
Session 8: Friendships—Developing Good Friendships
Thinking About Vulnerability—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 9: Navigating Friend Groups—When Friendships Are Complicated
Group Conflict—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 10: They Said What?—How to Stop Rumors and Gossip
Session 11: When and How Do I Speak Out?—Building Empathy and Courage in Bystanders
What Really Happened?—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 12: Getting Out of the Box—Are We Boxed Into Gender Norms?
How Do These Rules Affect You?—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 13: Reputations and Double Standards—Are People Being Treated Fairly?
Session 14: Understanding Advertising—What’s My Style?
Session 15: Getting Past the Products—The Influence of Advertising
Are You a Walking Advertisement?—Eighth Grade Handout
Interview an Adult—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 16: The Mirror—How Do We See Ourselves? How Do We See Others?
What’s Up With Labels?—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 17: Talking With Adults—How Do We Communicate Effectively?
Helping Adults—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 18: Managing Technology—It’s Not All Bad
Session 19: What Do You Share?—Deciding What to Post Online
Session 20: Why Do You Share?—Knowing Why You Post Online
Flip Chart Questions—Eighth Grade Handout
Social Media Armor—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 21: Do They Like Me?—Crushes and Rejection
This Stuff Is So Complicated!—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 22: Recognizing and Respecting Boundaries—How Far Is Too Far?
Giving and Getting Consent—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 23: Sexual Harassment—It’s Complicated
Session 24: Race and Bias—What Do We Really See?
What Do You Say?—Eighth Grade Handout
Session 25: Race and Bias—Did I Say Something Wrong?
Session 26: Concluding the Program—Please Say You Learned Something!
What Are You Proud Of?—Eighth Grade Handout
Owning Up Pretest
Owning Up Posttest
Appendix A: Parent Welcome Letter (English)
Appendix B: Parent Welcome Letter (Spanish)
Resource Guide