Series
Girl Scouts learn valuable skills through special series that focus on a specific
theme or purpose. Girls can explore careers, learn to write a novel, save local
wetlands or uncover ways they can take action to
help make the world a better place.
Be A Friend First (BFF)—a name that girls selected—is
a Girl Scout series that helps middle school girls
develop healthy relationships, prevent bullying
behavior and become peacemakers in their schools
and communities. It gives girls the skills to derail the
bullying behavior when it happens, or prevent it from
happening in the first place.
BFF most often is integrated into after-school
programs and uses activities such as role playing, creative writing and discussion
exercises to explore issues like peer pressure, stereotyping, gossip and cliques.
With guidance from an adult, girls talk about the values of a healthy relationship, like
honesty, loyalty, integrity, kindness and compassion. They also learn how to stay
true to these values in their own lives, gain the self-confidence to stand up for what
they believe and learn the skills to intervene if they witness cruel or hurtful behavior
among their peers.
As part of BFF, girls also create and lead projects in their schools and communities
to tackle bullying issues. BFF gives girls the opportunity to take charge of their world
to implement change and encourage their peers to do the same.
A recent study released by the Girl Scout Research Institute found that relational
aggression is fairly common, with 30% of girls reporting some sort of bullying or
aggression from their peers. Through the BFF program, GSWPA aims to help girls
develop positive relationship skills, gaining confidence and friendships in the process.
Girls from Eisenhower Middle School
(Warren County) participated in the
BFF series.
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girl scouts western pennsylvania 2012-2013 annual report