This is not the first time the Obama administration has spoken out about bullying. In this two minute video Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shares here thoughts. (more…)
A while back we did a post on why we take a different approach to anti-bullying assemblies.
Most presentations try to “scare the kids straight”. They hammer on the harmful effects of bullying and try to create change by making everyone feel miserable.
We’ve been skeptical of this approach from day one. We believe it makes a bad situation worse.
Turns out we’re right. There’s academic research to back it up. “Preaching” at the kids and following up with severe punishments doesn’t work.
There was a peer reviewed article published on this back in October 2011. It’s cited at the end of this post. Here are a few crucial bits that I feel are relevant. (more…)
We’ve made progress in the anti-bullying movement, but this video proves we still have a long way to go. This was recorded on a cell phone, so the quality isn’t that great. You can still make out what’s happening.
This incident took place at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio. The target attempted to walk away, but the bully beat him repeatedly. (more…)
One group that’s easily overlooked in the bullying crisis is those with special needs. According to a recent article advocates in Maryland are calling on the state to do more to address the problem.
From the article: (more…)
I’m excited to see this… Check out the full story at WMFD-TV.
Here’s a quote from the article:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio sent a letter to school superintendents around the state Thursday, urging them to adopt proactive bullying prevention plans.
The ACLU’s letter comes after several months of increased incidents of students across Ohio and the nation bullied by others. In particular, the ACLU encouraged schools to implement policies on how to address bullying when reported, education programs to prevent bullying, and comprehensive training for staff on how to handle bullying when it arises.
Last week I posted about the Facebook Live Chat the White House initiated about Bullying. There was a council of experts there from the government, Facebook, and even MTV.
I took detailed notes of the entire chat. Here’s a digest of what I thought was really interesting and wanted to pass along to you!
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Most states have laws on the book about bullying. Check out this handy graphic for more info.
As of when this was written, the only states without bullying laws are the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Many states, like Massachusetts are considering additional legislation.
Like anti-bullying policies in school, legislation is a good start. As a society we need to send a clear message that bullying is unacceptable.
Every society needs rules and guidelines. If we’re going to say that respect for others is a cultural value, then we need to define consequences for those who choose to act otherwise.
Although it’s a good start, it’s exactly that… A start…
What’s dangerous is believing that laws, rules, and policies are solutions.
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