Group Chat: why do ordinary students become part of something cruel?
A group chat turns on someone overnight. Nobody quite started it, and yet everybody joined in.

This KS3/4 lesson looks at how that actually happens. Not a lecture about being kind online, but an honest look at the psychology underneath it: why people behave differently in a group, the roles we slip into, and the point where a joke tips into bullying. It’s built to let students reach the uncomfortable conclusions themselves, which is what makes it land with year groups who usually switch off the moment an online-safety resource appears.

What’s included

• Editable 60-minute PowerPoint with full delivery notes in the slides
• Teacher guide: how to run each activity and handle the discussion
• Diamond 9 student activity
• Written assessment task with a three-level marking rubric

Covers: why people act differently in groups, the roles students play, harm without a single cruel message, and the line between a joke and bullying.

Suitable for KS3 and KS4. Around 60 minutes, with optional activities you can drop or set as homework. Everything editable, minimal prep required.

Part of the Group Chat series. Works on its own, or alongside a free introductory assembly and a scenario-based discussion resource .