"The best, most realistic account of bullying in schools that I have come across." 
    Dr Ken Rigby, University of South Australia  >More  

"Viewing the Stories of Us videos and participation in the corresponding class work had a measurable, statistically significant, positive influence on student attitudes".  Evaluation of Bullying by Richard Stephens  >More 

"The impact on the kids was unbelievable."  Kate Pollack, Teacher   >More  

Stories of Us is a unique series of Australian education resources for primary and secondary students, professional development and community engagement.

Stories of Us uses storytelling to promote positive relationships and behaviour, and change school culture. Combined with extensive instructional material, the resources centre on films (and plays) built from the group up with groups of students who collaborated in researching the subjects, developing the scripts and performing in the films. Every word is their own, and every detail approved by the students.

The Stories of Us films draw upon the collective experience of the students, holding a mirror to their reality with such authenticity that students watching the films are often convinced they are real. These films are compelling viewing – however the key to their effectiveness is how the films are applied.

Internationally acclaimed by leading academics in education in Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK, the resources are now being used in approaching 30% of Australian secondary schools and around 15% of primary. The success of these Australian resources led to the establishment of Stories of Us in the USA with the support of the universities of California, Illinois and Nebraska, and three of America's leading bullying prevention specialists.

Classroom Resources

The classroom resources help students and teachers develop effective strategies to enhance awareness and understanding, and reduce bullying behaviours and improve the quality of relationships among students, and reduce stress.

Designed with specialist psychologists, the resources take students through a structured program which is proven to be uncommonly effective. Multiple studies have found the Stories of Us classroom resources have a measurable, statistically significant, positive influence on student attitudes.

Stories of Us speaks to the young audience in their own language, in a style and format they respect. Each film presents the story of two ‘students’ as they deal, in their own way, with the given issue. The films serve as a catalyst to explore the subtle dynamics in the development of the issue, and help the students develop an understanding of what happens and why – and how the situation can be improved. The extensive Teacher’s Guides outline multiple lesson plans with detailed support information for teachers. Because of their realism the films also form an excellent basis for extension activities in English.

There are three resources in the secondary series – Bullying (Secondary), Relationships and Stress – and two in the primary series – Bullying (Primary) and Belonging.

The Stories of Us resources are produced and distributed by Readymade Productions. They are produced in association with Optima Psychologists & Mediators and the South Australian Film Corporation, and developed in close consultation with student counsellors and teachers from a range of schools. Stories of Us has the support of the South Australian Minister for Education and Child Development and the department, MindMatters, beyondblue, the Australian Secondary Principals Association, the Australian Primary Principals Association, and the South Australian Primary School Counselling Association.

Professional Development

Created using the same collaborative process with students, The Method of Shared Concern is a staff training resource for dealing with bullying in schools.

Dr Ken Rigby describes in detail this internationally recognised method originated by Swedish psychologist Dr Anatol Pikas. The DVD and accompanying User's Guide present a step-by-step group training session for staff, built around two case studies enacted by practitioners trained by Dr Pikas.

The Method of Shared Concern is appropriate for medium-level, group-based bullying with secondary students and, at the discretion of staff, students in the late primary years.

Community Engagement

The Stories of Us PaCE Program is designed to enhance the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities to engage with schools and education providers in order to support improved educational outcomes for their children.

Created in collaboration with Aboriginal parents and students in northern Adelaide and designed for large-scale implementation, the program centres on short plays developed by parents and students and performed for their community and school educators. The students perform both young and adult roles in the plays, which serve as a non-confrontational means of exploring the community's relationship with schools, acknowledging the positives and examining some of the obstacles to greater engagement. The presentation of the play is followed by a guided discussion aimed at strengthening parental and community engagement with education providers.

The Stories of Us PaCE Program is produced by Readymade Productions with the support of the Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations under its Parent and Community Engagement Program (PaCE).