For many of us the first day of school is right around the corner. Students and educators across the country are gearing up for another year and this year the issue of bullying and cyber-bullying is not only on the student’s minds but educators as well. This year, 160,000 students will skip school each day in fear of getting bullied. With these numbers as high as they are, it's not a big surprise that academic achievement is an increasing challenge in most schools. If you want take part in making a change in your schools academic achievement and pinpointing where exactly this begins, then you can't miss the first National Conference on School Engagement.
National Center for School Engagement Presents: The National Conference on School Success
Date: October 26-28, 2011
Location: Denver, Colorado
With regestration all conference participants will be given one year free membership to the School Climate Resource Center –Operated by the National School Climate Center
One year ago today, Carl Walker Hoover took his own precious life only 11 days before his 12th birthday after being bullied incessantly with anti-gay taunts. Since his tragic death, Carl's mother has been a tireless advocate for greater awareness of this rampant harassment in our nation's schools and has pushed for stronger anti-bullying legislation. You can help by signing GLSEN's petition in support of the Safe Schools Improvement Act (H.R. 2262), which will require schools receiving federal funding to enact policies to prohibit bullying and harassment, and provide them with resources to prevent and respond to incidents when they occur.
This past January, the country was shocked by the brutal bullying of 15-year-old freshman Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide after months of harassment. Today, three of the nine students who face charges connected to the case were arraigned in court, entering not guilty pleas. As the community looks to make sense of this tragedy, one truth is abundantly clear: our children need better supports to put an end to this toxic abuse when it occurs and prevent future bullying from taking place. The Safe Schools Improvement Act will help ensure that policies and practices are in place to keep our children safe.
Effective, school-wide, sustained programs are the next critical piece. If you are in need of bully prevention supports as a student, educator, or parent, please visit BullyBust today to access free resources, join a nationwide community of educators in the Partner School Program, and sign the STAND UP pledge to show your commitment. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive concrete supports on bully prevention, student engagement, and creating positive school climates.
Spread the word, and check the status of bully prevention legislation in your state. Together, we can put an end to bullying.
The Center for Social and Emotional Education (CSEE) is proud to be partnering with the Broadway musical WICKED to bring the Witches of Oz to life in classrooms across the country with critical bully prevention supports for the fall 2010 BullyBust Campaign. Elphaba, the misunderstood green witch at the heart of WICKED, will help students learn how to put an end to bullying for good as the spokesperson for BullyBust. Schools can get involved with the cause by joining the Partner School Program, which will provide classroom-based supports including WICKED-themed activities, resources, and a national “Defying Gravity” essay contest this fall.
Show your support for the cause! Use the code "CSEE" when purchasing tickets for WICKED on Broadway (online or at the box office), and a portion of the sale goes back to BullyBust! Read the full press release here.
Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest news on BullyBust and help spread the word. Together we can create a community of positive upstanders and put an end to bullying!
In Fall 2009, CSEE launched the Stand Up to Bullying Video Contest as the first guided activity of the BullyBust Partner School Program. This activity was designed to help educators and administrators develop school-wide awareness of bullying behavior and to empower students and adults to stand up for themselves and others. By working with students in small groups to develop brief video announcements, schools used this activity to build a shared understanding of how school life should be and to introduce students to upstander behavior in a way that was fun, easy and participatory.
The school behind the winning video wins an array of free supports from CSEE. Our panel of judges reflects a variety of expert perspectives on bullying and upstander behavior: Justin Patchin and Sameer Hinduja, Directors of the Cyberbullying Research Center; Sammi Hanratty, star of the movie An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong and BullyBust advocate; Dr. Jonathan Cohen, President of CSEE and co-chair of the National School Climate Council; and members of the National School Climate Youth Council, along with council assistant Doug Hart.
I am excited to share the following student videos submitted for the contest, developed by Detroit Edison Public School Academy (Detroit, MI), Yargo Elementary (Winder, GA), Bethlehem Elementary (Bethlehem, GA), New Utrecht High School (Brooklyn, NY), Bellevue Middle School (Nashville, TN), Badger Ridge Middle School (Verona, WI), and Skyline Middle School (Wilmington, DE). You will see that each video reflects creativity, effort, and understanding of upstander behavior. We hope that you’ll share these short videos with your students or colleagues to showcase this great work and use them to start the conversation about the importance of being an upstander (as opposed to passive bystander) with your students. Please enjoy, and don't forget to rate your favorites:
View more by clicking the link below.
When we heard the news of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince’s tragic suicide in South Hadley, MA, our thoughts immediately went out to the family and community grappling with this incomprehensible loss. A target of extensive cyber-bullying through negative Facebook messages and texts, Phoebe’s victimization sadly mirrors what so many other students are struggling with today. In fact, the National Crime Prevention Council reports cyber-bullying is a problem that affects more than 40% of all American teens. The more troubling statistic is that of those affected, almost 60% of kids never told their parents or another adult about the incident. No longer can we dismiss this type of negative behavior as an adolescent phase or kids just being kids. Too many of our children are being left to face this issue alone, while parents and educators struggle to understand this rapidly changing form of harassment.
The only way to counter any type of bullying is to acknowledge the problem and educate students and adults alike on ways they can stand up against this type of abuse. Just as we teach our children how to read and how to act in class, we must teach them what to do when faced with a difficult bullying situation and talk to them about the harmful effects of bullying. This conversation needs to take place in schools and at home, and it must be part of what we live as a community — from our legislation and in-school/at-home rules to the type of behavior we model for our children each day.
The question is what can each one of us do now?
Know the Law: Phoebe Prince’s shocking death has prompted lawmakers in Massachusetts to shepherd a long in-development anti-bullying bill through the House and Senate sometime next week. You can check the status of bully prevention legislation in your state, and work with your local community to push for greater awareness of this crucial issue.
Educate yourself and your community: Learn about the most common Bullying Myths and Misconceptions, and share this knowledge with others. Download the Cyberbullying Tips for parents and educators and for students, and visit www.BullyBust.org to access free supports for students and adults alike. Access more resources here, here, and here.
Speak Out and Stand Up Against Bullying: Be proactive about recognizing and addressing bullying when it occurs. Read the 10 Tips for Being an Upstander, sign the Stand Up Pledge, and consider a school-wide bully prevention program to address this issue systemically. You can also share your story with Slate here.
Together, we can put an end to the harmful bullying and cyber-bullying that is far too prevalent in our schools. We want to hear from you: Tell us what your community is doing to stop bullying now.