Success StoryBe Friendship Focused



Be Friendship Focused

Author: Ola Donahue

Planning Unit: Kenton County CES

Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming

Plan of Work: 4-H Youth Development

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

Girl bullies do not fit the stereotype of a bully. To most adults a bully is a big kid pushing around another kid half the size. Girl bullies are the popular girls in school and are well liked by adults. She is overconfident and is the “queen bee” of the group telling others what to do and think. Some unsettling statistics a girl is bullied every seven minutes. Almost one-third of girls are directly involved in bullying (as the bully or the bullied). 15% of girls who are bullied tell someone. When girl bullying occurs: 85% of the time no intervention, 11% peer intervention and 4% teacher intervention. Girls bullying can involve the following methods gossiping, teasing/public humiliation, relational blackmail, ostracism/exclusion, creating paranoia, pranks and technology. With a growing problem of Relational Aggression in young girls I have worked with Erlanger /Elsmere Schools to form clubs for girls. .  The purpose of this club was to meet with 4th and 5th grade girls to teach them how to communicate with each other, how to be a good friend, and how to accept those that are different from others. Most importantly the goal was to teach the younger girls how to work together and respect each other before they came together in middle school. To accomplish this I meet with 8 groups of girls during their lunch hour once a month. At the end of the year I asked the girls if they had been bullied before and 95 of them answered yes. I also asked if they had been a bully to others 64 % answered yes. I asked if they had learned what bulling was and how it impacts others and 95% answered yes. 93 % said they would be more careful about how they treated others after attended the classes. After having implemented this program for over 4 years it was time to see if the impact helped in middle school.  The middle school girls were surveyed  64% of the surveys were completed.  83% of the middle girls stated that what they learned in the 4th & 5th grade helped them with their new friendships in middle school. 67% of the middle school girls felt  the Social Media lessons had helped them avoid having issues on Social Media and they were more cautious on Social Media. 83% of the girls stated that lessons they were taught in the BFF Program helped them deal with social issues in middle school.






Stories by Ola Donahue


Passport Kitchen

Passport Kitchen

about 1 years ago by Ola Donahue

Kentucky 4-H Passport Kitchen Program.The Kentucky 4-H Passport Kitchen program provided 433 young p... Read More


Making 4-H possible for all

about 11 months ago by Ola Donahue

Rising inflation and an uncertain economy are deeply affecting the lives of millions of Americans, p... Read More


Stories by Kenton County CES


4-H Country Ham projects retains senior 4-H members and recruits CEC members

4-H Country Ham projects retains senior 4-H members and recruits CEC members

about 10 months ago by Diane Kelley

The problemRetaining senior 4-H members and recruiting CEC membersThe educational program response4-... Read More


Young adults develop social connections

Young adults develop social connections

about 10 months ago by Diane Kelley

The problemRetention of 14-18 year old youthThe educational program response4-H livestock educationa... Read More