Bullying Prevention

Why is it that after many decades that I can still remember the name of the boy in school that used to turn around in his seat often and tell me, "I rather be dead than have red on my head" but I cannot remember the names of all those other students around me that did not make negative comments on my red hair? 

Bullies have always existed.  Bullies have and do affect our lives in one way or another.  Bullies now days have been given even more arenas to injure through the use of digital technology.  Although these statements may ring true, bullying does not have to be linked to gaining an education. 

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.

We each can play a role in making sure that bullying and education are not synonymously intertwined.  With excellent resources at our fingertips we can utilize the information to help eliminate bullying in all environments.   One of the best resources  I have found is the website that the government established called,  stopbullying.gov.  

This site has abundant information on all forms of bullying, including the cyberbully and how to prevent and how to respond.  Many resources are listed for further research on this site, one being the laws and policies that connect to bullying.  Also, there are cited many facts about bullying.  Here is one fact cited; 

"When bystanders intervene bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time." 

(Hawkins, D. L., Pepler, D., and Craig, W. M. (2001). Peer interventions in playground bullying. Social Development, 10, 512-527.)  

Bullying can be stopped and we each have a responsibility to see that it is 

"stopped on the spot" 

like this site reminds us to do.

"When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy."

( From the Stopbullying.gov home page)

As an educator, mother and citizen, I feel strongly about this issue and am committed to stop bullying on the spot but I can't alone.  In our communities it will take all of us working together to ensure that gaining an education does not have to include getting bullied.