persuasive speech about anti bullying

How To Write An Impactful Speech On Bullying (Sample Speech Included)

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

If you attended an educational institution, chances are that you are familiar with the word ‘bullying’. Even if you were not the one bullied, maybe you witnessed someone else being bullied. Or maybe you’ve simply heard the term mentioned by your teachers or other people in authority during an anti-bullying campaign or a speech of some sort.

Whatever the context, most people are familiar with the term bullying and what it entails. And yet, statistics are proof that simply possessing the knowledge that bullying is real does not necessarily mean that people will–or are–doing anything about it.

One out of five students has reported being bullied. 70% of school staff have seen bullying. The number of anti-bullying campaigns might be on the rise, yes, but as you can see, the number of students being bullied remains just as abhorrently high.

If you’re going to be delivering a speech against bullying, then it’s important for you to know these statistics. It’s only when you realize this that you will understand that simply giving a speech against bullying is not enough.

Instead, you must strive to deliver your speech in such a manner that it actually impacts other people & results in tangible changes.

Sounds tough, I know. But it’s not as difficult as it sounds.

By keeping in mind a few things like keeping your audience & occasion in mind, incorporating stories & videos, varying your speech pattern, and having a powerful opening as well as closing, you can deliver an impactful speech on bullying.

Tips For Delivering A Speech On Bullying

1. Keep The Occasion & Audience In Mind

What is the occasion? Are you delivering your speech for a school assembly, or is it for a professional campaign? Is your audience going to be comprised of bullies/bullying victims, or are they simply ordinary individuals wanting to know more about bullying?

The answer to these questions is going to alter how you should go about structuring your speech. For example, if you’re delivering your speech to school-going children, then you’re going to have to alter your speech to fit their understanding level.

2. Make It A Perfomance, Not Just A Speech

A speech connotates something that revolves around the words and the act of speaking. However, a performance is so much more than a speech: think of it as speech leveled up by multiple levels.

A performance includes speech, yes, but it also includes other important things like your voice modulation, expressions, gestures, body language, emotions, and storytelling, to name a new. A performance is a wholesome experience.

By providing your audience a wholesome experience instead of simply delivering a speech–something that they’ve probably heard multiple times before–you increase the chances that they will actually take an action to do something about it.

Our article, A Guide To Making Your Speech Interesting , has more tips on how to make your speech intriguing to the audience.

3. Tell Stories

Storytelling is an absolute must for any speech. It becomes even more important to include stories when you’re talking about something as sensitive as bullying. By telling stories, you make your speech–and the experience of bullying–more real to your audience.

You make your audience empathize with you as well as your topic. You make them realize that the victims and survivors of bullying are not some nameless humans that the audience doesn’t care about. You make the bullying survivors–and the bullies themselves– real .

You make them relate an abstract concept to real life, and to see things that are probably happening around them, but they’d never seen before.

4. Use Props

Props are another element that you must definitely incorporate in any speech or presentation. Props, like stories, can make your topic more tangible and easy to understand for the audience. They can also add a touch of uniqueness to your speech, and make it more memorable for the people attending.

However, before choosing your prop, you must ensure that it is relevant to the topic. Don’t just add a prop to your speech for the sake of adding it.

5. Change Your Speech Pattern

It’s not just the content of your speech that matters. The way you deliver your speech plays just as internal of a role in the impact you’ll make on your audience as the actual speech itself. Speech pattern is key to making an emotional impact on your audience’s mind.

You don’t want to sound like a robot while delivering your speech. Instead, mix up your speech pattern. If you’re going to be delivering an impactful quote, pause for a moment. If you’re reaching a serious point in your story, slow down your cadence. Vary your speech pattern.

6. Show Videos

Videos are an excellent way to make a connection with the audience. Videos will allow you to tell your story without resorting to just words. Videos can capture your audience’s attention & enhances your narrative to another level.

You can include short videos that you can easily find online. Alternatively, if you want to take up the creativity another notch, you can customize a video on your own & include it in your speech.

7. Have A Dynamic Opening & End

The way you open your speech–and how you close it–play a key role in determining the kind of impact you will make on your audience’s mind.

If your opening isn’t interesting enough, then you’ll end up losing your audience’s attention even before you have it. Alternatively, if your speech ending isn’t impactful enough, then your audience will probably forget about it the moment they leave–which is definitely something that no speaker wants.

For some inspiration on how to close your speech, check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Closing Remarks.

5 Ways To Open Your Speech on Bullying

1. Make Them Imagine

Imagination is one of the strongest tools in your arsenal as a public speaker. By channeling the power of imagination right in the beginning of your speech, you can make your audience form a personal connection with the topic right off the bat.

By making your audience imagine being in a scenario related to bullying, you can make them empathize with your topic better. This is key if you wish for them to take actual steps to stop bullying.

For example: Imagine if we lived in a world that was actually free…

2. Ask Them A Rhethorical Question

Questions are an excellent way to get your audience thinking. Questions can act as a cognitive ‘wake-up’ for your audience & get their thoughts flowing. By asking your audience a question right in the beginning, you prime them for the rest of your speech.

So, pose a question to your audience at the beginning of your speech. Rhetorical questions are great speech openers. Because, unlike a regular question that most likely has a straightforward answer, rhetorical questions make your audience think more deeply.

For example: If you met someone who’d bullied you 15 years ago in high-school, what would you do?

3. Tell A Personal Story

Another great way to begin your speech is by telling them a personal story. Stories–especially if they’re personal–can make the audience form an instant connection with the speaker and the topic.

Have you been bullied in the past? Or did you witness someone get bullied–or stand up for themself in the most awesome way imaginable?

Now would be the time to include them.

For example: I was bullied for over three years during my…

4. Make A Bold Statement

Surprising your audience is a great way to begin your speech. By making a bold statement, you not only achieve this, but you also make your audience see you as a more confident & respectable figure. This increases the chances that they will perceive your speech in a positive light.

So, start off your speech with a bold statement.

For example : I wish bullies were treated the same as murderers.

5. Use Facts & Statistics

Statistics and facts are an age-old way to have a foolproof beginning. Statistics and facts can add shock value to your speech opening, and awaken your audience. They might also cause the audience to see your speech in a different light.

However, one thing to keep in mind while incorporating facts or statistics is to ensure that they’re not too complicated or include a lot of numbers. You want to keep your facts simple, and relevant to the topic at hand.

For example: 1 in 5 children reports being bullied during their high school…

For more ideas on how to open your speech, check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Opening Remarks.

Sample Speech On Bullying

Bullying: It’s More Than Getting Punched

“Why don’t you just kill yourself?” This is the gift that arrived in my inbox on the morning of my fourteenth birthday. A fourteen year old girl–statements like these were a common part of my daily life. I’d listened to them every single day since I entered high-school. In fact, they were precisely the reason why I begged my parents to home school me in the first place. When I began my home-schooling journey, I did so with a lot of hope. Hope that I would finally be able to get away from the words that had been hurled at me every single day for the last two years. And yet, here we were. Not even a week had passed since I left the concrete halls of my high-school for the comfort and safety of my home, and yet as it turned out, home wasn’t safe either. Nothing was. Not in this new, techonology-driven world where people don’t need to be standing in front of you to communicate with you–or bully you. Or threaten your life. A few quick thrusts on the keypad, a couple of clicks, and it’s done. When people think of bullying, they often picture giant, violent figures towering over tiny, sobbing ones. Or hordes of people screaming insults at cowering figures in the hallway. Or pushing them against walls and banging their heads against toilet seats. While the incidents I’ve described still happen–and too often–bullying is so much more than that. Bullying, in the modern world, is like a hydra monster from the Greek Myths: it doesn’t have one face but ten, and every time you shack off one head, another one pops up in its place. We all know what to do if we’re bullied–or see someone else get bullied. We’ve heard it before, or maybe seen in the pamphlets on bulletin boards or in videos shown in classrooms. But before we take steps to stop bullying, we need to first learn how to identify it. Because unless and until we can recognize bullying when it happens to us–or to someone else–how will it matter whether we know the ways to stop it or not? Bullying can come in many forms. Bullying can be whispered insults when you think no one else is listening. Bullying can be deliberately pulling someone down on their happiest day. Bullying can be starting rumors about someone. Bullying can be tiny actions with no consequences–not for you, at least. It can be little jokes made by your ‘friends’–or little ‘bits of advice to lose weight or gain weight.’ Bullying can happen on the internet, through a string of messages that you hurl behind the mask of anonimity. Bullying can happen in the workplace, or in your college. Bullying can take the shape of prejudice, in the form of stealing opportunties from someone. Bullying can even happen in your own houseold, in your own relationship–and not just romantic ones. Bullying is not just physical. It has more than one dimension. Bullying can be emotional, social, spiritual…and many more things. And yet it is only one aspect of bullying that we tackle, the only one that gets talked about. It is a common misconception. If you hold it, I don’t blame you. After all, even I–a victim myself–held for a long, long time. In fact, in the beginning I didn’t even realize that I was getting bullied at all. After all, nobody ever physically punched me. I was never shoved against the lockers or punched in the face. By conventional definitions of bullying, I was never bullied. And I’m not the only one–a study showed that 64 % of bullying victoms never speak up about their bullying. It was only the day that the message arrived in my inbox that I realized that bullying can come in more than one shape or form. And most of them are forms that we’re not familiar with–at least, not yet. But we need to be. We need to recognize bullying–and we need to get better at doing it. Look at the people around you. You might not know it–they might not know it yet–but they may be getting bullied. And if you want to stop it, you must learn to see it first. They asked me why couldn’t I kill myself. I ask you: do you have the ability to recognize who they are?

To sum up, writing a speech on bullying is simple, and no different than any other speech. Keep in mind a few things like keeping your audience & occasion in mind, incorporating stories & videos, varying your speech pattern, and having a powerful opening as well as closing, and you can deliver an impactful speech on bullying.

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13 TED Talks to help you understand and prevent bullying

By Laura McClure on October 24, 2017 in Interviews

October is National Bullying Prevention Month in the US, and chances are you know someone who’s been bullied — or you’ve been bullied yourself.

Here, I’ve curated a list of TED and TEDx Talks that I feel unpack different aspects of the problems, solutions and experiences we’re facing in our modern world of bullying — both on and offline. I hope you’ll not only watch these talks, but also consider ways you might help to move the conversation on these issues forward. As you do, be an upstander: Show support to a target of bullying behavior or online harassment; report a bullying situation; or intervene on behalf of someone if it feels safe for you. Together, we can hopefully make it harder for bullies to thrive.

To This Day … for the bullied and beautiful – Shane Koyczan

Shane Koyczan’s spoken-word poem speaks to young people suffering from bullying in such a profoundly moving, empathic way that lifts the spirit and validates our humanity. He says, “If you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror, look a little closer.”

Watch an animated version of this talk :

How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are - Andrew Solomon

Rather than a search for meaning in the adversity in our lives, we need to forge meaning and build identity. “Forging meaning is about changing yourself,” says Andrew Solomon. “Building identity is about changing the world.” And in a sentence that speaks especially to me, he says, “When we’re ashamed, we can’t tell our stories, and stories are the foundation of identity.”

Watch the talk :

How data from a crisis text line is saving lives - Nancy Lublin

Sometimes it’s not enough to try to help. Sometimes you need to be so creative, so savvy, so plain smart that you realize to reach today’s young people you need to use their megaphone – texting. Nancy Lublin had that vision. She says of her Crisis Text Line, “If you text us, ‘I want to die,’ or ‘I want to kill myself,’ the algorithm reads that, you’re code orange, and you become number one in the queue. So we can handle severity, not chronological.”

When online shaming goes too far - Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson paints such a vivid, unforgettable portrait of how a human being’s entire existence can be brutally and cruelly destroyed in an instant by an Internet mob. He uses humor and intelligence to call us out on our public shaming — and it works.

How online abuse of women has spiraled out of control - Ashley Judd

Courageous actress Ashley Judd stands on the TED stage and repeats the filthy, vile slurs flung at her by anonymous hordes on Twitter. The audience is silent – shocked and disheartened. There is an important difference, she says, between free speech and hate speech. And our legislators need to write and pass laws that reflect that.

Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent - Safwat Saleem

Safwat Saleem grew up embarrassed about his accent and his stuttering. With great insights and an infectious sense of humor, he deconstructs what it means to be different from the norm and how he challenges the “preexisting notion of normal with my work and with my voice.”

Rethink before you type - Trisha Prabhu | TEDxTeen

Teenager Trisha Prabhu argues that it’s time to challenge people engaging in bullying behavior and find a way to make them stop. She applied science and tech to the problem and created a tool called Rethink, an automatic message that appears before an offensive post is sent and asks the sender if they really want to hurt or humiliate the recipient. (A startling 93.4% backed down.)

How little people can make a big difference – Charlie Cooper | TEDxJCUCairns

Nine-year-old Charlie wore glasses, struggled with school and had no friends. Then he came up with an ingenious idea: the Buddy Bench. Other children could approach any child sitting alone on the buddy bench and invite him to play, or go for a walk or share a laugh. Charlie Cooper will steal your heart.

What kids have to say about bullying and how to end it – Tina Meier | TEDxBend

Tina’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Megan, was the victim of a cruel cyberbullying hoax — and tragically, she committed suicide. Tina thinks about Megan every moment of every day. And while nothing will bring her daughter back, she hopes that she can help other parents. “Put down your cell phones,” she says. “Really listen.”

Don’t like clickbait? Don’t click – Sally Kohn

I originally had a quote from this great talk in my own TED Talk but, sadly, had to cut for time. Understanding how our clicking behavior contributes to a culture of humiliation that feeds bullying is key. As Sally Kohn explains, “Everything we blog, everything we Tweet, and everything we click is a public act of making media. We are the new editors.”

I grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church. Here’s why I left – Megan Phelps-Roper

Megan Phelps-Roper shares a personal and powerful story of what can happen when we open ourselves to listening to ideological viewpoints different from our own.

Listening to shame – Brené Brown

Brené Brown has arguably done more to open the dialogue around shame than any other thinker today — and she does it brilliantly. In this TED Talk, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness. Brené’s talks have personally helped me immensely.

Embracing otherness, embracing myself – Thandie Newton

Thandie Newton speaks eloquently to anyone who has ever felt like “The Other.” She draws a vivid picture of how being different shaped her sense of identity. And she describes the path she took to accepting her otherness and ultimately blossoming.

This article was adapted for TED-Ed from this TED Blog post .

Next, read 6 effective ways to stop bullying and teach kindness to kids .

TED Talks for National Bullying Prevention Month

These talk unpack the different problems, solutions and experiences we're facing in our modern world of bullying – both on and offline.

To This Day ... for the bullied and beautiful

How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are

How data from a crisis text line is saving lives

When online shaming goes too far

How online abuse of women has spiraled out of control

Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent

Don't like clickbait? Don't click

I grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church. Here's why I left

Persuasive Speeches: Bullying

• Social Media
• Youth Crime
• Mental Health
• Single Sex Schooling

Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm.

Lachlan: How to deal with cyberbullying from eSafety Office on Vimeo .

• << Previous: Social Media
• Next: Youth Crime >>
• Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 9:06 AM
• URL: https://icentre.vnc.qld.edu.au/persuasivespeeches

Negative Bullying Outcomes: A Persuasive Speech

Introduction, attention getter.

When we think about school, we think about the learning process, bonding with classmates, maintaining meaningful relationships, and achieving academic goals.

State Topic

What often remains out of the frame of this idealistic picture is ostracizing, insults, and pushes that are still way too common in school environments. Bullying is an umbrella term for intentional, targeted aggression within a social group and a pervasive issue that is difficult to get read of.

Establish Credibility

Bullying is a big deal: 49 out of 50 US states have anti-bullying legislation in one form or another.

Preview Statement

Yet, many people still miss the point: they do not see bullying as that big of a problem.

Transition – Use one of the transitions

I am here to tell you that bullying is much more insidious than it seems: it can ruin a person’s life.

Firstly, bullying leads to poor academic performance: after all, how no student can properly concentrate on the learning process if they are constantly attacked and distracted.

Al-Raqqad et al. have shown that middle schoolers both in private and governmental schools show much worse results if they are bullied (46). The teachers that participated in the study also reported that bullied children were not doing great at school. Their results were declining, and they were withdrawing from actively participating in class.

It is readily imaginable how the effect of bullying on a person’s learning capacity can persist into high school and college and compromise their prospects.

However, it is not only the cognitive capacity of students that we should be caring about.

Bullying takes an enormous toll on a person’s mental well-being.

Sigurdson et al. discovered that as many as 20% of bullied children had developed psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression (42). What is even worse is that the victims of bullying were likely to suffer from severe cases of those disorders. On top of that, the effects of bullying have proven to be quite persistent. According to Sigurdson, a significant part of study participants still had mental issues past their teenage years.

Depression and anxiety are extremely disruptive to a person’s life. They break their natural rhythm, can be debilitating, and prevent a person from achieving their life goals.

It is easy to see how hurtful bullying can be for the one who is being bullied. However, as it turns out, the aggressors are also at risk of having adverse life outcomes.

Bullying is a complex issue because it affects both sides: the victims and aggressors, even though the latter’s issues are often ignored.

Nierenberg shows that former bullies often have to get medical treatment for their psychiatric issues later in life. Besides, bullies often have low empathy: a skill that people need in life to bond and maintain relationships.

Bullying needs to be stopped not only for the sake of saving the victim but also to prevent the aggressor from developing unhealthy behavioral patterns.

To conclude, the existing scientific evidence suggests that bullying leads to many negative outcomes for those affected.

For this reason, we need to take action at all levels: governments, schools, and individuals should all take part in the healing process. Bullying should be prevented, or should it occur, reported, and taken care of as soon as possible.

An issue as serious as bullying should not be taken lightly: it is the youth’s quality of life and future perspectives that are at the stake.

Works Cited

Al-Raqqad, Hana Khaled, et al. “The Impact of School Bullying on Students’ Academic Achievement from Teachers Point of View.” International Education Studies, vol. 10, no. 6, 2017, pp. 44-50.

Nierenberg, Carl. Childhood Bullying Can Have Lasting Effects on Mental Health. 2015. Web.

Sigurdson, Johannes Foss, et al. “The Long-Term Effects of Being Bullied or a Bully in Adolescence on Externalizing and Internalizing Mental Health Problems in Adulthood.” Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, vol. 9, no. 1, 2015, p. 42.

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A Persuasive Speech On Bullying (Writing Guide)

How to write a persuasive speech on bullying.

Bullying is one of the main problems in schools around the world. There have been reports of many cases where students hurt or even kill each other because of bullying. Aside from that, there are victims who resulted in committing suicide and this only shows how unacceptable bullying is. This is why a lot of stakeholders in the sector of education have to work together to deal with the problem and assure students of their safety. One way that a person can help to spread awareness on bullying is to give students a better idea about it. A strategy to help the victims of bullying is to educate them on what to do about it. If professors ask students to write a persuasive essay about the bad impact of bullying. Writing a good one requires students to follow the guidelines.

You need to use standard English because it is widely accepted whether it is spoken or written. When you speak and write in English, the best way to communicate is to use standard English. When you have written your speech , make sure you have prepared and practiced well. The world leaders do not only stand up and make a speech right away, they prepare before speaking to the public. Some even have people to write their speeches, but remember that this is not done in schools. Remember to use English skillfully and you have time to prepare in advance so you will be able to show off the English skills you have.

Since you already have a topic to write about , make sure to set a goal to easily get your point across. You need to think about what kind of reaction you want to get from the readers. Think about it if you want to talk about the disadvantages of bullying, its effect on the mental health of a person when they grow up, and why it should never happen to anyone. You can use this when writing the introduction for a persuasive speech on bullying. As a speaker, you need to think about it if the action you are doing will lead to a consequence and how readers will respond to it. If you want those consequences to have a positive impact, you need to perform the right actions that will cause certain reactions. When you already know the kind of action you want from the audience, you can figure about how to write an effective speech on bullying.

In order to support your idea, statistics should be new and it has to come from a good source. The numbers have to provoke a good reaction, offer reliable, efficient and simple information so it can be used for doing student presentations. It should push students to end bullying or to help someone who is a victim, especially in school. The writer should be able to share an experience about bullying or something from the news. The writer can also talk about common types of bullying so that readers will develop empathy and understand the ones who were bullied.

When sharing an experience, include a human element. These stories could include quotes to share facts about life. Personal stories about bullying can be researched online that writers can use as part of the speech they are completing. By using these stories, readers will be more convinced that bullying should never happen and how it impacts someone negatively. At the same time, they will know that it is indeed a reality and there are those who commit suicide because of bullying.

When writing a speech, the writer also has to think about the kind of audience it will be presented to. Are they hostile, motivated, or neutral? The hostile audience doesn’t want to listen to the speech for a lot of reasons and these may be prejudice , fear, ignorance, cultural inertia, and fear. The neutral listeners do not have their own opinions or beliefs and this is why they have no investment to maintain the present state or arriving at a new one. This one is in the middle ground. Those who are motivated, want a change and they are already aware of the problems that need solutions. These listeners want to hear what you say and are most likely convinced of the solutions you are talking about.

The tone is also important because the objective of the writer is to show understanding of the issue and care about the victims and those who might be bullied, especially in school and social settings. The tone has to be naturally convincing and it gives readers a reason to care about bullying. Was the reader bullied? Did the reader participate in the act and if yes, why? How can prevention of bullying help readers or listeners? How would a person feel if someone close to him or her like a family member or a friend was bullied?

The next thing to do is to write about the balance and obstacles of the topic to add to the structure of the speech. Address the arguments of the opposition or obstacles while using the proposed course of action in a fair and respectful manner. You need to make readers know the elements you share and they should acknowledge them. This is going to build credibility and trust because they will listen to the points even more. The writer should also anticipate how the audience is going to participate, and one good thing to do is to ask them to write down anything that stood out while listening to the speech. They can be asked to record the reactions they have while absorbing information. This is going to help in the stimulation and post-presentation discussion. You can write down questions you plan to ask before you begin the speech. Furthermore, in order to keep their attention, the speech should not be confrontational. It is not necessary to put down the opposition, you just have to convince the audience that your argument is right because it is supported by positive facts. If you have to use statistics, use simple ones to avoid confusing the audience with numbers. There is no need to make your speech complicated by going outside the standard format. While you might be ambitious and want to add more to its simplicity, it is a format that is effective in capturing their attention.

Lastly, the essay should give suggestions on how victims can easily recognize incidents or potential bullying situations. You can make this part of the conclusion to give a better ending. Moreover, it can become a resource for those who have experienced bullying and for those who bully other people. These resources might mention parents, organizations, and teachers. The main objective is to prevent bullying and stop it from happening again. If you need writing help , you can consult services online to guide you.

Speech on Bullying

Bullying is a harsh reality many face, especially in school. It’s when someone repeatedly hurts, threatens, or picks on another person.

You might have seen it, or maybe you’ve been a victim. It’s important to understand what bullying is, so we can stop it.

1-minute Speech on Bullying

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, today we are here to talk about a serious issue – bullying. Bullying is when someone hurts or scares another person repeatedly. The person being bullied finds it hard to defend themselves. Bullying is not just physical, it can also be words that hurt, or even ignoring someone on purpose.

Bullying is wrong. It can make a person feel lonely, unhappy, and scared. It can hurt their feelings and sometimes, it can even make them feel ill. We all have the right to feel safe and happy. No one should ever have to go through the pain of being bullied.

Why do some people bully? Some people bully because they feel bad about themselves, and they think it will make them popular or powerful. But it doesn’t. It just makes them mean. It’s important to remember that people who bully others need help too. They need to learn better ways to deal with their feelings.

What can we do about bullying? We can stand up against it. If you see someone being bullied, don’t just stand there. Get help. If you are being bullied, don’t keep it to yourself. Tell a trusted adult. You are not alone, and it is not your fault.

Remember, everyone deserves respect. Let’s treat others the way we want to be treated. Let’s stand together against bullying. Let’s make our world a kinder, safer place. Thank you.

Also check:

• Essay on Bullying
• 10-lines on Bullying

2-minute Speech on Bullying

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let’s talk about bullying. It’s a word we hear often, but what does it really mean? Bullying is when someone hurts or scares another person again and again. It can happen in many ways – through words, actions, or even online.

Bullying is not just a problem for the person being bullied. It’s a problem for everyone. When bullying happens, it makes our schools, our neighborhoods, and our online spaces feel unsafe. It can make us feel scared, sad, or angry. And these feelings can make it hard for us to learn, to make friends, and to grow up healthy and strong.

Now, let’s think about the person who bullies. Why do they do it? Some people bully others because they feel bad about themselves. They think that making someone else feel small will make them feel big. But this is not true. Bullying doesn’t make anyone a bigger or better person.

Bullying is not a game. It’s not something we can ignore or laugh off. It’s a serious problem that hurts people. And it’s up to all of us to stop it.

So, what can we do? First, we can stand up for people who are being bullied. If you see someone being bullied, don’t just stand by and watch. Tell an adult, or if you feel safe, tell the bully to stop.

Second, we can be kind. Kindness is the opposite of bullying. When we are kind to each other, we make our schools, our neighborhoods, and our online spaces safe and welcoming for everyone.

Lastly, we can talk about bullying. Talk about it with your friends, your family, your teachers. The more we talk about bullying, the more we understand it. And the more we understand it, the better we can fight it.

Remember, everyone has the right to feel safe and respected. No one deserves to be bullied. Together, we can stop bullying and make our world a kinder, safer place. Thank you.

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• Speech on Importance Of Child Rights
• Speech on Bravery

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• Speech Writing /

Speech on How to Tackle Bullying in Schools?

• Updated on  
• Dec 16, 2023

Imagine you see an average schoolgirl bullied multiple times by her classmates. Her classmates make fun of her by calling her weird names, revealing her secrets, and even physical bullying like pushing and pinching. What would be the first thought in your mind? You probably want to help her in dealing with bullies. According to a 2019 report, 2 out of 10 students in India are bullied at school. The majority of the students fall in the 12 to 18 years of age group. Bullying can have serious and lasting effects on individuals’ emotional and physical health. Do you want to know the solution to this? Guess what? Today, we have brought you a speech on how to tackle bullying in school, where different methods and techniques will be discussed. Stay tuned!

Check out our 200+ Essay Topics for Students in English!

This Blog Includes:

10 lines on how to tackle bullying in schools, 2-minute speech on how to tackle bullying in schools, popular quotes on anti-bullying in school.

Also Read: Essay on Knowledge Is Power

Also Read: Speech on ‘If I Had A Superpower’

Here are 10 lines on how to tackle bullying in schools. Feel free to use them in your speech topics.

One of the best ways to tackle bullying in school is to stand up against them.

Educational programs and campaigns can help to raise awareness about the negative impacts of bullying.

Students must be encouraged to open communication where they can comfortably discuss their experiences and concerns without fear of judgment.

Schools must establish and enforce anti-bullying policies to deter and address bullying behavior.

Schools must promote the concept of cyberbullying and encourage students to digital respect and kindness.

Teachers and other staff members must be provided with training to address bullying incidents.

Nourishing a positive and inclusive school environment can make students feel valued and protected. 

Students must be taught how to help a victim of bullying.

There should be support services at school, ensuring proper counseling for the victims of bullying.

Parents’ active participation is necessary in anti-bullying efforts, as will be informed and involved in creating a safe environment.

Also Read: Speech About Life for Students in English

‘Good morning my friends and teacher (s). Today, I stand before you to present my speech on how to tackle bullying in schools. One way, we all have bullied someone. It can be verbal, physical, social or disability bullying. When you are making fun or badmouthing about someone, you don’t care what the person might be going through. For you, it’s either an everyday thing or you probably enjoy doing so.

‘But you know what? A person involved in bullying is never loved. This is because they don’t have emotions. Bullying is one of the worst experiences a student can ever go through. Imagine yourself being bullied at school and it’s the same thing every day. What would you do? Who will you reach out to? Do you have the courage to stand up against bullies? If you do, then good for you but not every student is courageous enough to stand up to bullies.’

‘To tackle bullies at schools, experts have suggested multiple strategies. The first one is to launch educational programs and campaigns that can help raise awareness about the negative impacts of bullying. Constant negative interactions can contribute to the development of depression and anxiety disorders.’

‘Schools must nourish positive and inclusive environments that can make students feel valued and protected. A lot of victims of bullying try to skip or avoid school to escape bullying, which interferes with their academic scores and can lead to education setbacks.’

‘Children with elder siblings are often compared by their parents. No two children are the same. Parents must stop this comparison between their children and encourage them to perform well by supporting them in learning new skills.’

‘Before implementing anti-bullying strategies, educators, parents, and students must recognize the signs of bullying. Next time you see a victim of a bully, just put yourself in their shoe and you will understand what they are going through.

Thank you.’

Here are some popular quotes about anti-bullying in school. Feel free to use them in your speech or any writing topic.

• ‘Encourage don’t belittle, embrace their individuality. And show them that no matter what they will always have value if they stay true to themselves’ – Salonge Nicole
• ‘Smiles and kindness bring so much more than money can buy. Help and acceptance are all that are needed when you see someone cry.’ – Jennifer Sodini
• ‘Don’t ever let anyone bring you down, define who you are or destroy your AWESOMENESS.’ – Comic Strip Mama
• ‘Bullying is wrong. It is not okay to bully others back because they bullied you.
• We learned our lesson with Don the Goat.’ – T.R Durphy

Related Articles

Ans: The act of teasing someone using words or physically harming them is known as bullying. Bullying can have several negative impacts on the victim, such as emotional and psychological impacts, physical consequences, academic setbacks, behavioral and social changes, etc. To tackle bullying in schools, teachers and parents must encourage children to stand up against bullies. Schools must implement anti-bullying programs and campaigns to raise awareness about the negative impacts of bullying. Schools must promote the concept of cyberbullying and encourage students to digital respect and kindness. Teachers and other staff members must be provided with training to address bullying incidents.

Ans: There are different types of bullying, such as verbal, physical, social, cyber, sexual, religious, and homophobic bullying.

Ans: Reaching out and talking to the victim is the best way to help them. You need to ask them how you can help and that you will listen without judgment. Try to act like a friend and show them that you care. If you are listening to them, make them trust you by sharing your personal experiences. Encourage them to stand up against bullying or talk to a teacher about such incidents.

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Being Kind Helps Prevent Bullying

School climate describes the quality and character of school life and is an important factor in students' social and emotional experiences. A healthy school environment is safe, inclusive, respectful, and free from violence and bullying. One of the easiest ways to create a positive school climate is by being kind. School staff and teachers who model how to treat students with kindness and respect help prevent bullying.

Benefits of Kindness

Being kind can have many different benefits to both the giver and the receiver. These benefits include improved:

• Relationships
• Social connection
• Mental health
• Heart health
• Life satisfaction
• Overall wellbeing

Both performing acts of kindness and experiencing acts of kindness have been shown to decrease:

• Social disconnection

Encourage Students to Show Kindness at School

Performing three acts of kindness each week can improve students' overall wellbeing and their social-acceptance among peers, according to a study of 9-11 year olds in Vancouver, Canada. School-based activities, such as a "Kindness Challenge," can encourage students to be kinder to their peers.

Here are 7 ways students can show kindness to other kids:

• Show support for others' ideas, goals and activities
• Be optimistic and positive towards others
• Be outwardly happy (Smile!)
• Collaborate with students who are outside of their group
• Express empathy towards others by listening to them and reflecting back what they said
• Reach out to someone who is struggling or alone
• Step in to deflect or defend when someone is being bullied

Expert Opinions—Students Speak About Bullying

We are becoming increasingly aware of the seriousness of depression, anxiety and stress in young people. More and more students are reporting feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, and bullying is a recurring theme. Whether bullying is a cause or simply an additional obstacle, its impact on our children’s well-being is undeniable.

So many education-reform efforts emphasize high-stakes testing rather than whole-child development, but an important part of any child’s development is the belief that he or she has a voice—and that should be reflected in the curriculum.

When we ask all kids to communicate about what really matters to them, we demonstrate how much we value their voices. And valuing their voices shows them they matter to us. I asked my students if they would be willing to write about why bullying hurts and what can be done about it. Some shared their pain; others talked about the path forward. (A number of kids used pseudonyms.)

“Most people instantly recognize bullying as a painful issue, but they are going off of assumption instead of experience. I’ve been bullied before, as a third grader, and it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Two people cut me off from my friends. I was left to wander the playground alone at recess. Finally, one friend (who’s my best friend today) joined me, and I was so extremely happy. She stayed by my side. The bullies then started spreading lies and rumors about us. It made us both feel very alone. Powerless. I didn’t look forward to school. I dreaded recess. Since my best friend had a different lunch, I ate alone and just sat watching my old friends playing with my bullies.” (The Traveler, grade 7)

Another student wrote, “Bullying hurts because it feels like no one cares about you, and you can’t tell anyone about it because kids will think you’re weak or overreacting, even though you know you’re not.” (Grace, grade 7)

A student who signed his name “Captain America” wrote: “Bullying hurts because you try to tell yourself that you’re awesome, and you try hard to please people, but they say nasty things about you, and you feel like you failed. I was bullied and the one thing that helped me was my dog. He was always happy to see me. For me, feeling appreciated is what really matters.”

And then Brandon, also in seventh grade, shared this: “I used to imagine myself on an island with only the people I care about and that care about me. It helped me block out the people who don’t care what happens to me.”

Carrera left me stunned with this: “When I’m with people who care about me, that feeling is what keeps me going. It’s why I even come to school. Why I have hope, why I am who I am. The saddest thing about bullying is that some kids never have that feeling.”

Along with their stories of pain, students also had some important words of wisdom.

“Every person is valuable and you can remind them of that. Be aware of those who are hurting. Reach out to them with compassion. Be brave, and don’t be afraid to stand up for others.” (Celia, grade 7)

“If you see someone getting bullied, stand up for them and, if you have to, get an adult involved. And remember, don’t fight back with fists. Fight back with kindness.” (Anazstazia, grade 6)

“We are not the labels others put on us. If all the people in this world were absolutely perfect and had no differences, not only would the world be dull, there would be almost no point in living. I believe we are here to become better people.” (Brianna, grade 7)

“Having someone with you who cares about you can cushion the fall and make bullying not so painful.” (E.S., grade 7)

“Sometimes, all you have to do is open your eyes, walk over to someone who is hurting and speak a single word:  Hello. That one word can start a friendship for a lifetime.” (Madeleine, grade 7)

Many schools and districts are under tremendous pressure to focus on their students’ test scores. But helping our students succeed must include helping them have safer school experiences, and to do this, we must make sure our programming and practices include opportunities for them to share their voices and for us to really listen.

Donohue is a middle school English and social studies teacher in Monroe, Washington. He also teaches college courses in English, public speaking and education.

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15 Persuasive Speeches

Speeches that Make a Change

In this chapter . . .

For many public speeches, the specific purpose is to convince the audience of a particular opinion or claim or to convince them to take some action in response to the speech. When your intention is to affect change in your audience (not just the acquisition of knowledge) then you are delivering a persuasive speech. In this chapter you will learn about the elements of persuasion, why persuasion is difficult, and how to overcome people’s resistance to change by using effective and ethical methods.

Although a persuasive speech involves information—even as much as an informative speech—the key difference is that a persuasive speech is designed for “creating, reinforcing, or changing people’s beliefs or actions” (Lucas, 2015. p. 306). A persuasive speech makes something happen. In other words, it performs a job.

Traditional Views of Persuasion

In the fourth century BCE, the classic philosopher Aristotle took up the study of the public practices of the ruling class in Athenian society. For two years he observed the  rhetoric  (the art of persuasion) of the men who spoke in the assembly and the courts. In the end, he developed a theory about persuasiveness that has come down to us in history as a treatise called Rhetoric. Among his many ideas was the identification of three elements essential to persuasion: ethos, logos, and pathos. In short, they mean credibility, reasonability, and emotion.

Ethos has come to mean speaker character and credentials. It is the element that establishes the audience’s trust in you as a speaker. A speaker’s credibility is based on who the speaker is and what they know: experience, education, expertise, and background. If you’re delivering a persuasive speech about adopting a pet from a shelter and you have raised several shelter dogs, then you have credibility through experience and should share that fact about yourself with the audience to enhance their trust in your persuasive argument. Another way to establish your credibility is through research sources. You may not be an expert in climate change, but if you were giving a persuasive speech about it, you can cite reliable authoritative sources.

The word ethos looks very much like the word “ethics,” and there are many close parallels to the trust an audience has in a speaker and their honesty and ethical stance. In terms of ethics, it goes without saying that your speech will be truthful.

In addition to expertise and truthfulness is your personal involvement in the topic. Ideally you have chosen the topic because it means something to you personally. Audiences will have more trust in you if they feel you have something as stake or something personal in the subject. For example, perhaps your speech is designed to motivate audience members to take action against bullying in schools, and it’s important to you because you work with the Boys and Girls Club organization and have seen how anti-bullying programs can have positive results. Sharing your own involvement and commitment is key to establishing your credibility on this topic.

Logos is the second key element in Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric. Related to our word “logic,” the Greek term logos in persuasion means presenting ideas that appeal to logic or reason. Logos in a speech pertain to arguments that the audience would find acceptable. Imagine a speech, for example, which has the goal of persuading an audience to adopt healthier eating habits. Would the speech be effective if the arguments focused on how expensive organic foods are? Of course not.

Logic and reason are persuasive not only as matters of content.  Logos  pertains to organization, as well. An effective persuasive speech presents arguments in an organized fashion.

In words like “empathy,” “sympathy,” and “compassion” we see the root word behind the Greek word pathos. Pathos, for Aristotle, meant exciting emotions such as anger, joy, hate, love, and desire to persuade the audience of the rightness of a proposition. In a positive sense, appealing to the emotions of the audience is a highly effective persuasive tool. In the earlier example of a speech designed to encourage an audience to take action against bullying in schools, including a touching story about a student experiencing bullying would make the audience more likely to support your call for action.

However, we recognize that pathos can be used in a negative way. Emotional appeals that use anger, guilt, hatred, inflammatory language like name-calling, or that try to frighten the audience with horrible images, are counter-productive and even unethical. They might incite emotion in the audience, but they are poor uses of pathos.

One negative emotion used frequently by persuasive speakers is fear. Candidates for political office, for example, often try to provoke fear to move us to vote for them. Intense, over-the-top fear appeals, based on factual falsehoods or cherry-picking, and/or including shocking photos, are not ethical and are often dismissed by discerning audience members. Appealing to the emotion of fear can be ethical if it’s managed carefully. This means being strictly factual and avoiding extremes.

Persuasion and the Audience

It makes sense that if a speaker wants to affect the audience’s beliefs or actions, then the speaker must be perfectly clear about their expectations. If you were listening to a persuasive speech call for your audience to support animals, wouldn’t you want to know exactly what “support” the speaker was talking about? Giving money to charities? Volunteering at an animal shelter? Writing state legislators and urging them to change laws? Your job as a persuasive speaker is to be clear about what you want to create, reinforce, or change in your audience.

For your speech to have persuasive power, you must also consider your audience and choose a goal that is feasible for them. Persuasion isn’t an on/off switch. It’s more like a thermometer. Skillful persuasive speakers respect and identify a persuasive goal that is calibrated to the audience. Think of persuasion as a continuum or line going both directions. At one end is strong disagreement. At the other end is strong agreement. Your audience members, either as a group or individually, are sitting somewhere on that line in relation to your central idea statement, or what we are going to call a proposition in this chapter.

For example, your speech proposition might be something like “The main cause of climate change is human activity.” You are claiming that climate change is due to the harmful things that humans have done to the environment. To be an effective persuasive speaker, one of your first jobs after choosing this topic would be to determine where your audience “sits” on the continuum.

+ 3 means strongly agree to the point of making lifestyle choices to lessen climate change (such as riding a bike instead of driving a car, recycling, eating certain kinds of foods, and advocating for government policy changes). + 2 means agree but not to the point of acting upon it or only acting on it in small ways. + 1 as mildly agrees with your proposition; that is, they think it’s probably true, but the issue doesn’t affect them personally. 0 means neutral, no opinion, or feeling too uninformed to decide. – 1 means mildly opposed to the proposition but willing to listen to those with whom they disagree. – 2 means disagreement to the point of dismissing the idea pretty quickly. – 3 means strong opposition to the point that the concept of climate change itself isn’t even listened to or acknowledged as a valid subject.

Since everyone in the audience is somewhere on this line or continuum, you can accept the fact that any movement toward +3 or to the right is a win. Trying to change an audience from -3 (strong disagreement) to +3 (strong agreement) in a single speech would be quite impossible. When you understand this, you can make strategic choices about the content of your speech.

In this example, if you knew that most of the audience was at -2 or -3, your speech could focus on opening their minds to the possibility of climate change and provide the science behind human causes. On the other hand, if you knew your audience was at +1 or +2, you could focus on urging them to take bold steps, like giving up their gasoline-powered vehicles.

A proposition is assumed to be in some way controversial, or a “stretch” for the audience. Some people in the audience will disagree with your proposition or at least have no opinion; they are not “on your side.”

There will be those in the audience who disagree with your proposition but who are willing to listen. Some members of the audience may already agree with you, although they don’t know why. Both groups could be called the  target audience . At the same time, another cluster of your audience may be extremely opposed to your position to the degree that they probably will not give you a fair hearing. They probably can’t be persuaded. Focus on your target audience, they are the one you can persuade.

Why is Persuasion Hard?

Persuasion is hard mainly because we have a bias against change. We go out of our way to protect our beliefs, attitudes, and values. We selectively expose ourselves to messages that we already agree with, rather than those that confront or challenge us. We find it uncomfortable to be confronted with conflicting information or viewpoints.

Additionally, during a persuasive speech the audience members are holding a mental dialogue with the speaker or at least the speaker’s content. The processes that the human mind goes through while it listens to a persuasive message is like a silent conversation. In their minds, audience members are producing doubts or reservations about your proposal. If we could listen in on one of these conversations, it might go something like this:

Speaker: Switching to a plant-based diet is the best action you can take to support a reduction in the CO-2 emissions harming the climate. Audience Member Mind: Yeah, I hear what you’re saying, but eating like that won’t give me enough protein.

The audience member has a doubt or reservation about the speaker’s proposal. We can call these doubts “yeah, buts” because the audience members are thinking, “Yeah, but what about—?”  It’s a skill of good persuasion speechwriting to anticipate reservations.

Solutions to the Difficulty of Persuasion

With these reasons for the resistance audience members have to persuasion, what is a speaker to do? Here are some strategies.

First, choose a feasible goal for the persuasive action you want the audience to take. Going back to our continuum, trying to move an audience from -3 to +2 or +3 is too big a move. Having reasonable persuasive goals is the first way to meet resistance. Even moving someone from -3 to -2 is progress, and over time these small shifts can eventually result in a significant amount of persuasion.

Secondly, as speakers we must address reservations. While speechwriters aren’t mind-readers, we can easily imagine reservations about our proposition and build a response to those reservations into the speech. Using the example above, a speaker might say:

Switching to a plant-based diet is the best action you can take to support a reduction in the CO-2 emissions harming the climate. I urge all of you to consider this important dietary change. Perhaps you are thinking that a plant-based diet won’t provide enough protein. That is a common concern. Nutritionists at the website Forks Over Knives explain how the staples of a PB diet—whole grains, legumes, and nuts—provide ample protein.

Here, the speaker acknowledges a valid reservation and then offers a rebuttal. This is called a two-tailed argument. The speaker articulates a possible argument against their proposition and then refutes it.

The third strategy is to keep in mind that since you are asking the audience to change something, they must view the benefits of the change as worth the stress of the change. In effect, audiences want to know: “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM). As a speaker, you should give thought to that question and in your speech address the benefit, advantage, or improvement that the audience will gain by taking the action you propose.

Structure of a Persuasive Speech

A persuasive speech shares with an informational speech the same four elements for a strongly structured speech: introduction, body, conclusion, and connectors. Like informative speeches, preparation requires thoughtful attention to the given circumstances of the speech occasion, as well as audience analysis in terms of demographic and psychographic features. That said, there are some elements unique to a persuasive speech.

General and Specific Purpose General Purpose: To Persuade Specific Purpose: To motivate my audience of campus administrators to provide LGBTQ+ safe spaces on campus.

This looks familiar up to this point. The general purpose is one of the three broad speech goals (to instruct, to persuade, to inspire or entertain). The specific purpose statement follows a clear T.W.A.C. pattern:

T o +  W ord: To convince A udience: campus administrators C ontent: LGBTQ+ safe spaces

What is unique to persuasive speeches is what comes next, the proposition.

Propositions

Informational speeches require a thesis. This is the central idea of the speech; its “takeaway.” Persuasive speeches equally require a strong focus on the main idea, but we call this something else: a  proposition . A proposition is a statement that expresses a judgement or opinion about which you want audience in agreement. Remember that propositions must be something that can be argued. To say, “The earth is round” isn’t a proposition. “The earth is flat” is a proposition.

• Converting to solar energy saves homeowners money.
• A vegan diet is the most ethical way to eat.
• Universities should provide on-line learning options for all classes.
• The Constitution’s Second Amendment does not include possession of automatic weapons for private use.

Like a thesis statement for an informative speech, a proposition statement is best when it not only clearly states the judgment or opinion for which you seek audience agreement, but also provides a succinct preview of the reasons for that judgement.

Universities should provide LGBTQ+ safe spaces on campus to promote visibility, build community, and protect well-being for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.

Types of Propositions

If you take a closer look at the propositions above, you’ll notice that they suggest several types of persuasion. In fact, there are several broad categories of propositions, determined by their primary goal. These are: a) propositions of fact, b) propositions of value, c) propositions of policy, and d) propositions of definition.

Proposition of Fact

Speeches with this type of proposition attempt to establish the truth of a statement. The core of the proposition isn’t whether something is morally right or wrong, only that a statement is supported by evidence or not. These propositions are not facts such as “the chemical symbol for water is H20.” Rather, propositions of fact are statements over which people disagree and there is evidence on both sides. Some examples of propositions of fact are:

• Experiments using animals are essential to the development of many life-saving medical procedures.
• Climate change has been caused by human activity.

Notice that in none of these are any values—good or bad—mentioned. The point of these propositions is to prove with evidence the truth of a statement.

Proposition of Value

Propositions of fact have the primary purpose of arguing that something exists in a particular way. Propositions of value, on the other hand, have as their primary purpose to argue that one thing is better than another. When the proposition has a word such as “good,” “bad,” “best,” “worst,” “just,” “unjust,” “ethical,” “unethical,” “moral,” “immoral,” “beneficial,” “harmful,” “advantageous,” or “disadvantageous,” then it’s a proposition of value. Some examples include:

• Hybrid cars are the best form of automobile transportation available today.
• Mascots that involve Native American names, characters, and symbols are unjust.

Propositions of value require a first step: defining the “value” word. If you are trying to convince your audience that something is “unjust,” you will have to make clear what you mean by that term. For different people, “best” might mean “safest,” “least expensive,” “most environmentally responsible,” “stylish,” “powerful,” or “prestigious.” Obviously, in the case of the first proposition above, it means “environmentally responsible.” It’s the first job of the speaker, after introducing the speech and stating the proposition, to explain what “best form of automobile transportation” means. Then the proposition would be defended with separate arguments.

Proposition of Policy

These propositions are easy to identify because they almost always have the word “should” in them. These propositions call for a change in policy or practice (including those in a government, community, or school), or they can call for the audience to adopt a certain behavior.

• The federal government should act to ensure clean water standards for all citizens.
• Universities should eliminate attendance requirements.
• States should lower taxes on food.

The proposition determines the approach to the speech, especially the organization. The exact phrasing of the proposition should be carefully done to be reasonable, positive, and appropriate for the context and audience.

Propositions of Definition

Propositions of definitions argue that a word, phrase, or concept has a particular meaning. Lawyers, legislators, and scholars often write briefs, present persuasive speeches, or compose articles to define terms that are vital to defendants, citizens, or disciplines. Some examples might be:

• The Second Amendment to the Constitution does not include possession of automatic weapons for private use.
• Alcoholism should be considered a disease because…
• Thomas Jefferson’s definition of inalienable rights did not include a right to privacy.

In each of these examples, the proposition is that the definition of these things needs to be changed or viewed differently, but the audience isn’t asked to change an attitude or action.

These are not strict categories. A proposition of value most likely contains elements of facts and definitions, for example. However, identifying the primary category for a persuasive speech focuses the speaker on the ultimate purpose of the speech.

Pro-Arguments

Once you know your proposition, the next step is to make your case for your judgement or opinion through clear and distinct points. These are the main points of the body of your persuasive speech. We call these the “pro” or “for” arguments. You should present at least three distinct arguments in favor of your proposition. Expanding on the example above,

General Purpose: To Persuade Specific Purpose:  To motivate my audience of campus administrators to provide LGBTQ+ safe spaces on campus. Proposition: Universities should provide LGBTQ+ safe spaces on campus in order to promote visibility, build community, and protect well-being for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.

Three pro-arguments for the proposition are:

Pro-Argument #1: Creating a safe space makes LGBTQ+ community more visible and central to campus life, instead of marginalized. Pro-Argument #2: Safe spaces create a place where LGBTQ+ and their allies learn to build networks, friendship, and support circles. Pro-Argument #3: With a safe and centralized space bringing together this community, instances of bias or harassment can be brought to counselors, making for a safer community.

Two-Tailed Arguments

There is one more crucial element following pro-arguments. These are unique to persuasive speeches. As discussed above, it’s essential to anticipate and address audience reservations about your propositions. These are the two-tailed arguments that articulate the reservation and then address it or refute it. In the example we’re using, such a statement might look like this:

“Perhaps you are thinking that an LGBTQ+ safe space isn’t necessary on campus because there are already places on campus that provide this function. I understand that concern. However, a space that is officially provided by the University provides access to resources with trained personnel. The national organization CampusPride provides training to university facilitators for exactly this reason.”

There are some techniques for rebuttal or refutation that work better than others. You would not want to say, “If you are one of the people who believe this about my proposition, you are wrong.” It’s better to say that their reservations are “misconceptions,” “myths,” or “mistaken ideas” that are commonly held about the proposition.

Building Upon Your Persuasive Speech’s Arguments

Once you have constructed the key arguments, it’s time to be sure the main points are well supported with evidence.

First, your evidence should be from sources that the audience will find credible. If you can find the same essential information from two sources but know that the audience will find the information more credible from one source than another, use and cite the information from the more credible one. For example, if you find the same statistical data on Wikipedia and the US Department of Labor’s website, cite the US Department of Labor. Audiences also accept information from sources they consider unbiased or indifferent. Gallup polls, for example, have been considered reliable sources of survey data because unlike some organizations, Gallup does not have a cause (political or otherwise) it’s supporting.

Secondly, your evidence should be new to the audience. New evidence is more attention-getting, and you will appear more credible if you tell the audience something new (as long as you cite it well) than if you use the “same old, same old” evidence they have heard before.

Third, in order to be effective and ethical, your supporting evidence should be relevant and not used out of context, manipulated, or edited to change its meaning.

After choosing the evidence and apportioning it to the correct parts of the speech, you will want to consider the use of metaphors, quotations, rhetorical devices, and narratives that will enhance the language and “listenability” of your speech. Narratives are especially good for introduction and conclusions, to get attention and to leave the audience with something dramatic. You might refer to the narrative in the introduction again in the conclusion to give the speech a sense of finality.

Lastly, you will want to decide if you should use any type of presentation aid for the speech. The decision to use visuals such as PowerPoint slides or a video clip in a persuasive speech should take into consideration the effect of the visuals on the audience and the time allotted for the speech. The charts, graphs, or photographs you use should be focused and credibly done.

Organization of a Persuasive Speech

You can see that the overall structure of a persuasive speech follows a common model: introduction, body (arguments and support), two-tailed arguments, and conclusion. Study the example at the end of this chapter to see this structure in action.

In speechwriting, you can think of a speech structure like the building of a house and organization like the arrangement of the rooms within it. As with other speeches, persuasive speeches can be organized topically, chronologically, or spatially. However, persuasive speeches often follow a problem-solution or problem-cause-solution pattern.

Organization for a proposition of fact

If your proposition is one of fact or definition, it will be best to use a topical organization for the body of your speech. That means that you will have two to four discrete, separate topics in support of the proposition.

Proposition: Converting to solar energy saves homeowners money.

• (Pro-Argument 1) Solar energy can be economical to install.
• (Pro-Argument 2) The government awards grants for solar.
• (Pro-Argument 3) Solar energy reduces power bills.
• (Pro-Argument 4) Solar energy requires less money for maintenance.

Organization for a proposition of value

A persuasive speech that incorporates a proposition of value will have a slightly different structure. A proposition of value must first define the “value” word for clarity and provide a basis for the other arguments of the speech. Then the pro-arguments for the proposition based on the definition.

Proposition: Hybrid cars are the best form of automotive transportation available today.

• (Definition of value) Automotive transportation that is best meets three standards: dependable, economical, and environmentally responsible.
• (Pro-Argument 1) Studies show that hybrid cars are durable and dependable.
• (Pro-Argument 2) Hybrid cars are fuel-efficient.
• (Pro-Argument 3) Hybrid cars are environmentally responsible.

Organization for a propositions of policy

The most common type of outline organizations for speeches with propositions of policy is problem-solution or problem-cause-solution. Typically, we don’t feel any motivation to change unless we are convinced that some harm, problem, need, or deficiency exists, and even more, that it affects us personally. Therefore, the organization of a speech about policy needs to first explain the problem and its cause, followed by the solution in the form of 3-5 pro-arguments.

Proposition: Universities should provide on-line learning options for all classes.

• (Problem) Regular attendance in a physical classroom is no longer possible for all students.
• (Cause) Changes brought about by the COVID pandemic have made guaranteed classroom attendance difficult.
• (Pro-Argument 1) Providing on-line learning options protects the health of students.
• (Pro-Argument 2) On-line learning serves students who cannot come to campus.
• (Pro-Argument 3) Access to on-line learning allows students to maintain employment while still going to school.

To complete this outline, along with introduction and conclusion, your pro-arguments should be supported with fact, quotations, and statistics.

Your persuasive speech in class, as well as in real life, is an opportunity to share a passion or cause that you believe will matter to society and help the audience live a better life. Even if you are initially uncomfortable with the idea of persuasion, we use it all the time in diverse ways. Choose your topic based on your commitment and experience, look for quality evidence, craft your proposition so that it will be clear and audience appropriate, and put the finishing touches on it with an eye toward enhancing your logos , ethos , and pathos .

Media Attributions

• Persuasion Scale © Mechele Leon is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license

Public Speaking as Performance Copyright © 2023 by Mechele Leon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

2 Minute Speech On Bullying In English

Good morning principal, teachers, and my dear friends. Today I am going to talk about bullying. No matter what you think or have done, you have most likely bullied someone. Bullying is all around us. Stories about bullying, terrible incidents, and victims of bullying are frequently reported in the news.

Bullying happens everywhere, and your chances of experiencing it are high. Bullying is a widespread problem everywhere in the globe, especially in schools and online. Further research has found that early adolescent psychotic symptoms were more likely to appear in kids who were frequently bullied by their peers.

Bullying is a problem all around the world. The individual seated next to you can be the target of bullying and you don’t even know it. They might not appear to be in pain, but they might be. Bullying doesn’t always involve slamming someone into a locker, moving them about, or even assaulting them. Bullying can occur offline, online, on the bus, after school, when you’re walking home, and even within your own walls.

Anyone who deliberately tries to offend you is bullying you. Whether you simply look at them as they pass or make fun of something they say in class, bullying someone involves hurting their feelings. There are bullies in your classroom and throughout the school, despite what you may believe. Certainly, someone is present. So let’s be nice to one another and refrain from being bullies, even unintentionally. Thank you.

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