Club Ophelia

Program Introduction:

This is an after-school mentoring program designed for middle school aged girls. The middle school students are paired with high school students, so that they bond to share personal information while also relaxing and completing arts and crafts. Our goal in Club and Camp Ophelia is to “turn Ophelia upside-down.” Girls learn the power of connection with other girls, and see the value of being true to themselves.

There are several key pillars to the content within Club & Camp Ophelia.

First we EDUCATE about relational aggression using stories that illustrate female bullying. Girls then share bullying situations from their own lives, and create role plays that act out the hurtful behaviors they have seen or been involved in.
The next step is having girls RELATE the information on relational aggression to their own lives. We always stress that in any situation there are choices.
In the final part of the program, girls are asked to INTEGRATE what they have learned into their lives, and to think about how they could help another girl who is a victim or a bully.

Role of the parent(s):

"What can I do as an adult to help my daughter?"

• Recognize how serious this issue is for girls

• Think about what you expose girls to, and lobby for more positive role models

• Support books, movies, magazines, and television shows that offer constructive rather than destructive stories about girls

• Help girls “plan ahead” for relational aggression. Talk about what she will do when her friends start to gossip, or she sees someone else being targeted

• Have a toolkit of strategies for coping, not just one. Here’s an idea from Club Ophelia™ girls: Walk-Talk-Tell (walk away, talk things out, tell someone who can help)

• Reward positive relationship skills when you see them: creative problem solving, leadership, and team building are all behaviors you want her to use

• Discuss values and beliefs, using a hierarchy of “What would you do if your friends wanted you to?” (Would you…skip school…spread a rumor…drink…etc.)

• Involve her in volunteer work where she can connect with diverse groups of people and feel appreciated

• Role model tolerance and respect so she will too

• You need to know what happens online—consider it a city you allow a girl to visit and find out where she’s been and what she did there

• At all costs, keep girls connected—stigmatizing girls as bullies or victims decreases their chance of forming meaningful relationships with others

• Never underestimate the power of relationships with adults who care

Halifax Area School District

Club Ophelia