CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

DEALING WITH BULLIES (KIDLIT)



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HELPFUL TIP:

To understand why your character is driven toward a certain goal, get to know their positive and negative traits, as well as any significant emotional wounds that might be motivating them. Then you can explore the various kinds of conflict that could block them as they move toward their goal.
FORMS THIS MIGHT TAKE:
Working through a bully encounter at school
Coping with a sibling who intimidates
Facing a situation where a parent or adult is inappropriately trying to influence one's actions
Dealing with a group of bullies (one's teammates, a clique at school, etc.)
Coping with bullying situations in a set location (the bus, in the cafeteria, at the playground, etc.)
Dealing with gossip, rumors, and online bullying

HUMAN NEED DRIVING THE GOAL (INNER MOTIVATION):
There are five basic human needs that, when missing from a character's life, could motivate them to pursue this goal. The following needs are all possibilities, but only one of them should be the primary driver for any given character. For more information on the relationship between human needs and outer motivations, please see​ this ​Character Motivation tutorial.

Self-Actualization: A bullying situation may be holding the character back from being the person they are deep down. If they start growing depressed because they feel their identity and passions are suppressed, it can push them to resolve the issue at long last. 
Esteem and Recognition: A bully will always leave a child questioning their self-worth. This causes much hurt and heartache and at a certain point they must do something to claw back their self-belief and esteem.
Love and Belonging: If the bully is a parent, a desire to have a loving relationship with them that is free from pushing and pressure will cause them to finally speak up about how they feel.  
Safety and Security: Bullies who threaten can leave a child feeling unsafe, especially if the threat is physical. In this case, it becomes much easier to break free of the shame and embarrassment bulling causes and go to someone for help. 

HOW THE CHARACTER MAY PREPARE FOR THIS GOAL:
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POSSIBLE SACRIFICES OR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GOAL:
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ROADBLOCKS WHICH COULD PREVENT THIS GOAL FROM BEING ACHIEVED:
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TALENTS & SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THE CHARACTER ACHIEVE THIS GOAL:
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WHAT'S AT STAKE IF THIS GOAL ISN'T MET?
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