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     Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26204 Registered: 01-2000  Rating: N/A |
Reducing bullying and cyber bullying Ten easy tips for educators can help prevent bullying in schools and online By Elizabeth Englander and Kristin Schank / eSchool News Oct 6th, 2010  For another story on bullying from today's news, see 'I feel like no-one': Girl, 12, dies in father's arms from mystery condition after being tormented by school bullies, with over 230 comments. Her father Clive, 42, said: ‘People made fun of her because she did not know much about sex education. The parents think people need to protect their children from bullies. Bullies are everywhere. Government is an institutionalized bully. You can't escape bullies. At some point, children need to learn how to cope with and handle bullies. They need successes in confronting problems and solving them. They need to learn how to turn their tormentors into companions. Protecting them deprives them of the experiences they need to be mentally healthy. This fall, there are new and revamped laws in many states that address K-12 bullying and cyber bullying. In Massachusetts, we have one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching laws in the country. As in many states, K-12 teachers in Massachusetts have new responsibilities to respond to, report, and address bullying and cyber bullying. Here at the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC), we’ve developed 10 tips to help faculty cope with what can seem an overwhelming task. People are wasting no time monetizing this issue. The website is worth a look. * * * * 
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26101 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Prove need before recording students By Concord (NH) Monitor staff September 10, 2010 Two years ago, as part of a national effort to combat bullying, the New Hampshire Legislature amended the state's anti-wiretapping law to allow local school boards to install audio-recording devices as well as video cameras on school buses. On Monday, the Merrimack Valley School Board will hold a hearing to allow the public to comment on a plan to install the recorders. Superintendent Michael Martin views the recorders as a deterrent to bullying and misbehavior on buses. And he says they will allow administrators to determine with greater reliability which student or students are at fault when incidents do occur. Students, parents and everyone concerned about personal privacy should demand that the potential gains in safety and security justify an invasion of privacy that would be illegal in other circumstances. We are not convinced that they do. * * * * We are creating a world that no one will want to live in. Do you know what these students will do when they get control of the world? They'll say, "We we recorded all the time by government schools and so government not only can but should record the audio and video of everyone to protect us all." And when the technology is developed to detect what individuals are thinking, the government will mandate thought monitoring, too, because all words and actions begin with thoughts. Can we really afford not to know what people are thinking?
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26100 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Anti-Bully Laws Are a Violation of the Golden Rule Can immoral anti-bully laws lead to a moral society? Izzy Kalman / Psychology Today March 25, 2010  Izzy Kalman is the author/creator of the website www.Bullies2Buddies.com, and the world's most serious critic of the anti-bully movement. Governments all over the world have been passing school anti-bullying laws with the expectation that they will make children safe from bullying in school. Rather than schools becoming safer with the passage of these laws, they apparently are having a reverse effect. Bullying is escalating in the world's schools and many schools are finding themselves defendants in anti-bully lawsuits. Why are anti-bully laws failing in their mission to eliminate bullying? The reason is simple: They are a fundamental violation of the Golden Rule. All ethical systems throughout the world, whether religious or secular, recognize the Golden Rule as the ultimate, all-encompassing rule of morality. It is obvious that the only way to create a moral society is by teaching people to live by the Golden Rule. It is equally obvious that it is impossible to achieve a moral society if its policies are contrary to the Golden Rule. * * * For a scientific psychological explanation of the Golden Rule, please read my previous blog entry: The True Meaning of the Golden Rule: Love Your Bullies.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26099 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
The day I bashed a bully: gov By JENNIFER FERMINO / NEW YORK POST September 9, 2010 As a child, Gov. Paterson was teased so mercilessly about being blind that he once smacked one of his pint-sized tormentors in the head with his metal lunch box, he revealed yesterday before signing a historic anti-bullying bill into law. "Today, we're going to take a historic step to make sure that all schools are transformed into havens of understanding and protection," Paterson said in Manhattan. For Paterson, the Dignity for All Students Act -- which includes requirements for public schools to adopt guidelines for anti-harassment training programs -- was personal. "As one of the first legally blind students that was allowed into public school . . . I was a victim of that [bullying] many times," he said. "One day I got so upset, I took a metal lunch box . . . walked right into a classroom, right past the teacher who refused to do anything about it and hit this kid in the face," he said. His admission prompted wild cheers from the anti-bullying advocates and educators that crowded the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Chelsea to see the bill become law. So, why sign an anti-bullying law? Students need to learn how to handle adversity.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26087 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Schools say they're prepared for new anti-bullying law By REBECCA CRONISER / Utica (NY) Observer-Dispatch Sep 08, 2010 A new anti-bullying law isn't expected to lead to many changes at area schools, according to Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Superintendent Howard Mettelman. * * * The bill defines harassment in terms of creating a hostile environment that unreasonably and substantially interferes with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being, or conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety. Mettelman said he still sees the law as a good thing. “It helps to bring this issue to the forefront and that's critical,” he said. “This is not something that should swept under the rug.” Contributing: The Associated Press
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26032 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Guidance on Bullying and Cyberbullying Provided by the New York State Education Department undated Every public school Code of Conduct should begin, "This, being a government-run public school, it will respect the First Amendment rights of all with the highest regard and it will not seek to abridge or demean these rights or the exercise of them." Why don't we read that in public school documents? What kind of citizens are public schools creating? If you want to know the right way to deal with the bullying issue--in the way that preserves American values and individual liberty--then you need school psychologist Izzy Kalman's Bullies2Buddies approach. There's not another psychologist whom I've read about who comes close to getting this issue right. I have absolutely no financial ties with Izzy and only sporadic and brief email communications. In other words, I'm not promoting Izzy because I get something out of it. I'm promoting him because he's doing the right things. PDF version of this guidance The US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Bullying Prevention Campaign “Take a Stand. Lend a Hand. Stop Bullying Now!” defines bullying as “aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. Usually, it is repeated over time. Traditionally, bullying has involved actions such as: hitting or punching (physical bullying), teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying), or intimidation through gestures or social exclusion. Teasing and name-calling were never considered bullying. In fact, lots of hitting and punching were outside the scope of bullying, traditionally, but taking the property and money of weaklings did count as bulling. Don't you just love how people rewrite history when it suits their purposes? During the 1950s and 1960s, people didn't think so much about bullying or bullies. They didn't label people that way, at least in some places. What they did do, when they saw fights, teasing and arguments was encourage the participants to be nice. Shake hands and make up. We don't do that anymore. The professionals have developed pejorative names off of which they can make a living by providing support and counseling. In recent years, technology has given children and youth a new means of bullying each other. Cyberbullying, which is sometimes referred to as online social cruelty or electronic bullying, can involve: sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images; posting sensitive, private information about another person; pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad; (or) intentionally excluding someone from an online group” (http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/cyber-bullying.aspx). Two freedoms lost with one fell swoop--the freedom of speech and the freedom of association. What I have learned is that whenever you hear people talk about tradition, look out!, because tradition is about to take a beating. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has taken the position that one incident of bullying is too many. Zero tolerance for bullies. Would that include teachers and administrators, too? Bullying in general and cyberbullying in particular are becoming increasingly important concerns to educators, students, and parents and have created new challenges for school administrators in their efforts to create and maintain safe and secure learning environments. Students need to feel safe in order to maximize their academic and social potential. A myth. Students across time and across nations have learned just as well under much more fearful and dangerous conditions than we have with peers calling each other names. The threats of cyberbullying and its 24/7 exposure to students makes this a particularly important topic for all school building administrators, teachers, and support staff to address. The fact that cyberbullying has no geographic boundaries adds another level of complexity to the issue. Thus, students require clear and unambiguous guidance so they do not become overwhelmed or feel as though they have to manage the threat alone if confronted by a cyberbullying or bullying threat. This guidance provides educators with policy, program, and legal considerations that need to be addressed when dealing with the issues of bullying, cyberbullying, and general internet safety. It is also designed to assist school districts and their respective schools, BOCES, and County Vocational Education and Extension Boards (CVEEBs) in developing a comprehensive approach for dealing with these issues, which, if left unaddressed, can lead to the creation of unsafe school environments. The Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act of 2000 (SAVE) requires a focus on all acts of violence including, but not limited to, the impact of acts of bullying, threats, harassment or intimidation, disruptive behavior in class, carrying of weapons, fighting, physical assaults, and other behaviors that impede learning. Let me be clear, criminal misconduct can be dealt with as in the past. Educators can call crimes "crimes" or "bullying" or anything they'd like. Personally, I think it's a mistake to lump criminal misconduct and free speech/association issues together. Public schools have an extremely low tolerance of personal liberty. There are many ways to handle noncriminal misconduct, and school officials need not be involved in any of it pertaining to off campus annoyances. Educators are encouraged to consult with the attorney in their school district, BOCES, or CVEEB during the development of their bullying, cyberbullying, and internet safety policies. School and District Practice and Policies Tools available to create a comprehensive response to bullying and cyberbullying include policies and programs that address School Climate; Code of Conduct; Children’s Internet Protection Act; Internet Safety Policies; and analysis of Violent and Disruptive Incidents Reports (VADIR). * School climate: This may be the single most important factor in preventing, limiting, and/or dealing with bullying and cyberbullying incidents. Educators need to work diligently to create school environments that value and teach respect for all. Would that include respect for bullies? Not all people deserve respect--especially those who mock the blood shed to preserve liberty. People do not need to respect everyone. What they must do is conform their conduct within the bounds of decency in a framework a personal liberty. People are free to respect whom they choose. The most positive school climates are culturally sensitive and model positive behavioral interactions that clearly show that no tolerance exists for certain types of behaviors, including, but not limited to, bullying. If there is no tolerance for bullying then public schools cannot exist. Teachers and administrators routinely use "aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength." But, of course, they don't define their uses of power as bullying. If a student calls another student a wimp, well that's a matter for zero tolerance and serious concern. But if a teacher or counselor labels a student a bully, well that's not name-calling and that's appropriate. Public schools need to be honest. They need to tell students the truth, and the truth is that administrators and teachers and counselors are allowed to be bullies but students aren't. The rule isn't zero tolerance for all bullying, it's zero tolerance for bullying by students. The prevailing attitude at some schools is that there is no such thing as an innocent bystander as it relates to certain incidents. NYSED, in concert with the NYS Office of Mental Health, has developed Guidelines and Resources for Social and Emotional Development and Learning (SEDL) in New York State. This document and other SEDL resources to assist schools in developing positive school climates can be found at the following web address: www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss/sedl/ * Code of Conduct: All school districts, BOCES, and CVEEBs must adopt and enforce a code of conduct (COC) for the maintenance of order on school property and at school functions. The COC governs the conduct of students, teachers, other school personnel and visitors (see, Education Law §2801[2] and 8 NYCRR §100.2[l][2][i]). A summary of the COC must be provided to students and all persons in parental relation to students at the beginning of each school year. This also provides an opportunity for school personnel to both review the COC with students and parents and identify possible gaps in policy, practices, and procedures. The COC is an ideal document to use to establish expectations and consequences for student and staff conduct regarding internet safety and the use of technology while on school grounds and/or at school functions. In addition, the COC is the framework by which school administrators can implement and equitably enforce a safe school climate. School personnel must be provided with a copy of the COC and copies of the COC must also be made available for review by students, persons in parental relation to students, and other community members (see, Education Law §2801[4] and 8 NYCRR §100.2[l][2][iii][b]). COCs are often posted on the districts’, BOCES’ and CVEEBs’ websites. NYS law requires that all COCs be reviewed annually and updated if necessary (see, Education Law §2801[5] and 8 NYCRR §100.2[l][2][iii][a]). As stated above, this annual review provides an opportunity to assess whether the COC needs to be revised to address, among other things, the use of new forms of technology on school grounds and/or at school functions by students, teachers, other school personnel and visitors. A district may establish a committee to facilitate the review of its COC and the district’s response to COC violations. The review team/committee should include students, teachers, administrators, parent organizations, school safety team, school staff, concerned community members, and law enforcement officials. It is also recommended that individuals with strong technology skills and a thorough understanding of how students, teachers, and staff are using technology be recruited to assist in the review of the COC. This will help ensure that the COC reflects current and anticipated challenges that have been created or are anticipated through the evolution of technology. The COC should address such internet and electronic device safety issues as cyberbullying and sexting. The NYSED VADIR Glossary of Terms defines Intimidation, Harassment, Menacing, and Bullying (IHMB) as “[t]hreatening, stalking or seeking to coerce or compel a person to do something; intentionally placing or attempting to place another person in fear of imminent physical injury; or engaging in verbal or physical conduct that threatens another with harm, including intimidation through the use of epithets or slurs involving race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, religious practices, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability that substantially disrupts the educational process” (8 NYCRR §120.2[gg][1][vi][j]). Since the descriptions of cyberbullying and sexting are not in statute, regulation, and/or case law, the following definitions from the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services (NYSDCJS) may be used as a guide to develop the policies and practices in these areas. Cyberbullying is “the repeated use of information technology, including e-mail, instant message, blogs, chat rooms, pagers, cell phones, and gaming systems, to deliberately harass, threaten or intimidate others.” Cyberbullying, unlike physical bullying, does not provide an option for its victims to walk away (http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/cyberbullying.htm). NYSDCJS defines sexting as “sending, receiving or forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email” (http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing/i_safety/i_intro.htm). The COC should include statements that make it abundantly clear that cyberbullying is a form of electronic aggression and that both it and sexting are inappropriate and will not be tolerated on school grounds or at school-sponsored events or functions, using either school or personal information technology equipment. Sexting incidents should be reported on the VADIR in either IHMB (category 10) or other disruptive incidents (category 20), provided these reporting thresholds are met: the incident is violent/disruptive; it occurred on school property/ school sponsored events; and it meets/exceeds the disciplinary actions. Disciplinary or referral actions include the following: o Referral to counseling; o Teacher removal (formal 3214 hearing); o Suspension from class or activities; in-school equivalent of one full day; Activities or transportation for five (5) consecutive school days; o Out of school suspension: equivalent of one full day; o Transfer to alternative setting; or o Transfer to law enforcement. (http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ssae/schoolsafety/vadir/glossary08aaug.html) How about just asking students to be nice? What's wrong with that? People accuse me of using sledgehammers to swat flies. This is why. Public schools use even bigger sledgehammers than I do. Incidents in the IHMB category that come to the attention of the principal or school administrator, but do not rise to the disciplinary threshold, are logged by the school and are reported in Item 2 on page 3 of the VADIR Summary each year. Please refer to the Glossary of Terms used in reporting Violent and Disruptive Incidents for a description of the incident categories at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ssae/schoolsafety/vadir/glossary08aaug.html. For further clarification on reporting, refer to the VADIR Questions & Answers at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ssae/schoolsafety/vadir/VADIRQA1008final.html. Perhaps the greatest challenge for school administrators related to cyberbullying and sexting is how to legally and effectively deal with behavior and/or incidents that take place off campus that may endanger the health or safety of pupils within the educational system or adversely affect the educative process. It should be noted that prior Commissioner’s decisions have upheld the suspension of students for off-campus conduct (Appeal of K.S., 43 Ed Dept Rep 492, Decision No. 15,063; Appeal of Ravick, 40 id. 262, Decision No. 14,477; Appeal of Orman, 39 id. 811, Decision No. 14,389). Case law has also recognized that students may be disciplined for conduct that occurred outside of the school that may endanger the health or safety of pupils within the educational system or adversely affect the educative process (Matter of Coghlan v. Bd. of Educ. of Liverpool Cent. School Dist., 262 AD2d 949, citing Pollnow v. Glennon, 594 F.Supp. 220, 224, affd 757 F.2d 496). However, since regulation of bullying, particularly cyberbullying and sexting, may involve free speech and expression, there are constitutional limitations on the ability of a school district, BOCES, or CVEEB to restrict these forms of speech and expression and to discipline students for engaging in them pursuant to Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Community Sch. Dist., 393 US 503 (1969) and subsequent cases. We recommend that school districts, BOCES, and CVEEBs consult with their school attorneys in developing policies on bullying, cyberbullying, and sexting to determine whether the proposed policy is consistent with the decisions of the Commissioner relating to discipline for off-campus conduct and whether the proposed policy is constitutional under the Tinker standard as it has been applied by the courts. Because of national concerns over bullying, including cyberbullying and sexting, this is a rapidly evolving area of constitutional law, so we further recommend that districts, BOCES, and CVEEBs periodically review their policies with their school attorneys to make sure that they reflect current developments in the law. You can't insist on zero tolerance for bullying without know what the law is, now can you? If schools are advised to consult their attorneys then they shouldn't be advised to have a zero-tolerance policy. * The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA): This is the primary federal law concerning access to offensive content over the internet on school and library computers (http://fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html). Requirements of this law include: o Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures. The protection measures must block or filter internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors). Before adopting such an internet safety policy, schools and libraries must provide reasonable notice and hold at least one public hearing or meeting to address the proposal. o Schools subject to CIPA are required to adopt and enforce a policy to monitor online activities of minors. o Schools and libraries subject to CIPA are required to adopt and implement an internet safety policy addressing: (a) access by minors to inappropriate matter on the internet; (b) the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; (c) unauthorized access, including so-called “hacking,” and other unlawful activities by minors online; (d) unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and (e) measures restricting minors’ access to materials harmful to them. * Internet Safety Policies: In light of these requirements, a school district, BOCES, or CVEEB should revisit its policy regarding the use of social networking web sites and Instant Messaging Centers. A decision needs to be made as to whether the school district, BOCES, or CVEEB supports the use of these sites to encourage communication between staff, students, and persons in parental relation to students. If it encourages the use of these sites for such communications, it is wise to establish some proprietary parameters to ensure that staff, students, and persons in parental relation to students are not placed at risk. * Analysis of anti-bullying legislation and reporting requirements: Since 2006, approximately 20 states have enacted cyberbullying legislation. A review of this enacted legislation shows a focus on expanding the definition of bullying and/or harassment to include the use of information technology equipment, including, but not limited to, e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, chat rooms, pagers, cell phones, and gaming systems, to carry out the acts. Many states require school districts to implement anti-bullying policies in all of their schools and to report violations of these policies within their schools. In New York State, bullying incidents are documented and reported through the Violent and Disruptive Incident Reporting (VADIR) System. Within this system, the Intimidation, Harassment, Menacing, and Bullying incident category definition is broad enough to include cyberbullying incidents, thereby allowing the state to capture the frequency, geographic area, and specific school in which both the highest and lowest levels of incidents occur. Reporting and Preventing Incidents As noted, the reporting of bullying incidents can be accommodated by the VADIR system. The analysis of the VADIR data might also provide clues for what should be included in procedures for investigating and preventing bullying and cyberbullying. Of course, a strong school culture that does not tolerate such behavior, as well as good prevention policies and sound, research-based programs will minimize the need for investigation. There are a number of programs that are supported by scientifically-based research that have components dealing with bullying and cyberbullying. Please visit the Safe Schools and Alternative Education web site at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ssae/ , and the New York State Center for School Safety web site http://nyscenterforschoolsafety.org, for information regarding such programs. Good intervention efforts will help establish a culture and climate within the school that supports civility and respect and recognizes there are no innocent bystanders as it relates to bullying issues. Resources * The monitoring of student behaviors and supports is an often overlooked aspect of a comprehensive policy for dealing with issues of bullying and cyberbullying. As a consequence, students who are victimized often become alienated because they are unsure of the appropriate steps to take. To ensure that these situations do not occur, schools are encouraged to investigate and provide support for these students through guidance, social work, and/or psychological services in the district. Districts are encouraged to include local municipality social services if possible. * Additionally, advice is provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in its Stop Bullying Now! Campaign. Visit http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/default.aspx Among other ideas, the HHS indicates that schools should: o Educate students, teachers, and other staff members about cyberbullying o Be sure that the school’s anti-bullying rules and policies address cyberbullying o Closely monitor students’ use of computers at school o Use filtering and tracking software, but don’t rely solely on this software, to screen out cyberbullying and other problematic online behavior o Investigate reports of bullying and cyberbullying immediately + Notify parents of all children involved + Closely monitor the behavior of affected students + Investigate to see if the victim could use some support * Two programs that have been recognized to improve school climate and address bullying issues are the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and the Promoting Alternative Thinking strategies (PATHS) program. * For additional resources for schools, visit the Safe Schools and Alternative Education website: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ssae/schoolsafety/sdfsca/. * School personnel will also find useful guidance in a Fact Sheet entitled “What is Cyberbullying?” Developed by the New York Center for School Safety, this Fact Sheet includes a number of recommendations that schools, parents and teachers can follow to address this issue. Please go to http://nyscenterforschoolsafety.org. * The Department will continue to expand its curricular guidance in internet safety. For more information, please visit http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/technology/internet_safety/. Funding Availability * Local educational agencies will not receive new Title IVA allocations in the 2010-2011 school year, but they are encouraged to either utilize all funds or carry over the allowable 25 percent to the 2010-2011 school year to assist in the development of policy, programs, and training on these issues. A memorandum dated January 8, 2010 was shared with the field regarding the loss of NCLB Title IV, Part A of Safe and Drug Free Schools Communities Act (SDFSCA) Funding for 2010-2011. Additional Assistance This guidance is meant to provide you with ideas to address the issue of cyberbullying. You are invited to contact the Office of Student Support Services at (518) 486-6090 or the Office of Educational Design and Technology at (518) 474-5283 if you require additional assistance.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26028 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Bullies on Bullying: Why We Do It By Rachael Rettner, LiveScience Staff Writer 26 August 2010 You know, behavior exists. It's like the objects in the sky. They're simply there without any fixed set of attributes, or any order or organization. They are simply there, as they are. It's the human mind that imposes characteristics and attributes and organization on them. Asking children why they bully is like asking the sky why it looks like it does. Neither has the education, biases, prejudices and frames of references to know what you're talking about. A better question to ask is why do adults organize, perceive and label the world in the fabricated and distorted way that they do? Kids can be cruel, for many reasons and most often on a fleeting basis. But bullies are tenacious in their brutal acts, and scientists have not had much luck figuring out why. A new study sought answers in a way no other study has, by asking bullies why they do it. Bullies with the most hostility reported picking on kids because those kids were not good at sports. The most frequent bullying involved picking on students they perceived to be gay or lesbian, a result that agrees with another recent study on bullying. While much more needs to be learned, the researchers now speculate that the beliefs and ideals of a particular community or society may influence bullying behavior. The research seems to indicate bullying is about "social attitudes manifesting themselves in a very basic way within the school environment," said study researcher Ian Rivers of Brunel University in the United Kingdom. "So if the school really upholds sports, kids who are not good at sport are going to be victimized because they are not living up to the expectations of others." Although the research was conducted in the U.K., the results likely apply to children in the United States as well, since issues of sporting and sexual orientation are common to both countries, Rivers said. Questioning bullies The study involved 666 students (ages 12 to 16) from 14 schools who had recently reported bullying others. The researchers compared the bullies with a group of 478 students who had not recently engaged in bullying. Participants completed a questionnaire on bullying behavior, including a question on why they bullied others, followed by a list of options. Other surveys assessed students' mental health, substance abuse issues and demographic information. Bullies were more likely than non-bullies to live in families without two biological parents, such as living in single parent families, living with extended family members or with foster parents. Such situations may mean bullies, in some cases, do not receive as much attention at home, the scientists said. The study also found bullies were at high risk for alcohol and substance abuse. Fifty-nine percent of bullies said they had been offered alcohol in the last seven days compared with just 28.5 percent of non-bullies. Bullies were also at higher risk for mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and hostility. High hostility was associated with picking on students because they weren't good at schoolwork, they had certain possessions, or they were perceived as being gay or lesbian. Some of these issues may tie in to societal views as well. Society places a lot of value on possessions and "therefore envy can become a motivator," Rivers said. Communities might also be split on the issue of homosexuality, a topic some schools still have not properly address, Rivers said. How bullies see themselves Bullies tended to hold a negative view of themselves, suggesting they pick on others to feel better about themselves, and they may especially single out those who have trouble fitting in for other reasons. "While [bullies] may well be very sensitive about any differences or any failings that they have, they may also be setting themselves up so that they victimize those who have failings that are more challenged in society, that are perhaps perceived to be more problematic, such as being gay, such as being poor at sports, such as not being good at school work," Rivers told LiveScience. Rivers is also examining surveys from victims and witnesses of bullying, which he hopes will provide a bigger picture of the behavior. "This is something that is really important for teachers and administrators to know: What are the hot spots, what are the issues that we need to address in terms of making schools safe," he said. "If the issue is that kids are being bullied because they're poor at sports, then maybe we take the school emphasis away from sports." The study was presented in a poster session on Aug. 13 at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in San Diego.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 26026 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Raises unjustified for already overpaid school administrators A Schenectady (NY) Daily Gazette Letter to the Editor Aug. 26, 2010 Good thing this writing appeared in a newspaper and not on an online social forum, where the school district might decide that this letter is disruptive to public education and punish the student for her opinion under cyberbulling rules. On the other hand, why should an opinion published in a newspaper stop schools from punishing students? It's only a matter of time. Re Aug. 23 article “School administrators get pay raises”: Being a high school student, I know how thin resources can be stretched, when some teachers are given only $100 to buy supplies for the entire year. Textbooks can be appallingly outdated (some circa 1981), science classrooms have to spread out materials so only one-third of any given classroom can actually perform an experiment, and there are some math classrooms that don’t have one working protractor because they haven’t been replaced in years. On top of that, music programs are being shrunk to the point where there’s one teacher trying to privately teach hundreds of students in a week; sports that keep our student body healthy and active are being cut at a rapid pace because the budget can only go so far. It’s infuriating to have to deal with all of this, only to read about school administrators getting paid twice as much as they need to be for absolutely no reason. No one needs that much money, especially when the very institute they’re running is struggling to maintain a good educational environment. I think these school administrators might be of more help to their schools if they just quit. Olivia Caron-Noble Averill Park
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25947 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Anti-smoking ads highly successful An Albany (NY) Times Union Letter to the Editor August 5, 2010 If we didn't anger smokers enough recently with the tax increase that caused New York to regain its position as the state with the highest cigarette tax in the nation, then the ads being released by the state Department of Health will do it. A perfect example of state-aided bullying--the repeated abuse of the weak by the powerful. If people really cared about smokers and their addiction, they wouldn't be publicly shaming them, coercing them with half-truths and taking their money while giving nothing in return. It's obvious to me that people are using smokers to relieve their inner bullies. It's pathetic. But it also demonstrates that the state isn't interested in ending bullying. It and its official affiliates are interested in monopolizing it. And since smokers tend to be poorly educated minorities, that makes these people racist elitist bullies. You can't get better than that. BTW, I don't smoke, but I'll defend to the death the right of smokers to be treated fairly. Starting this week, New Yorkers all over the state will be seeing a television campaign designed to make smokers very uncomfortable. Two ads are airing on television: one depicting the potential impact of a parent's death from smoking and the other showing the damage cigarettes do inside your body as fatty deposits are squeezed out of the aorta of a young smoker. The ads are unsettling and somewhat chilling, and everywhere they have aired they have seen the results -- smokers quitting at higher rates. Fortunately, the NYS Smokers' Quitline (1-866-NY QUITS) is ready for callers and has had great success in helping smokers quit. Sometimes seeing life from a scary but potentially very real point of view is all people need to make a good choice. Erin Sinisgalli Program Manager Center for Smoking Cessation at Seton Health Albany
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25920 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Chicago Public Schools crackdown on cyberbullies New rules call for suspension, possible expulsion BY KIM JANSSEN / Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporter July 29, 2010  Digitally placing classmates' heads onto other people's bodies, leaving abusive messages on Facebook profiles, e-mailing X-rated images and inciting violence via text message are all part of the modern school bully's arsenal, Chicago Public School officials say. But now new rules mean "cyberbullies" caught using cell phones or social networking websites such as MySpace or Bebo to pick on classmates face mandatory suspension, possible expulsion and a police investigation. WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS A VICTIM Officials say the tough stance -- which regulates student behavior off campus and outside school hours as well as during the school day -- is necessary to tackle a growing trend of cyberbullying. Studies suggest as many as 4 in 10 kids are targeted by bullies online. Under the new Student Code of Conduct, passed by the Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday, cyber-bullying will be considered as serious an offense as burglary, aggravated assault, gang activity, drug use or more traditional forms of bullying. Students who use computers or phones to "stalk, harass, bully or otherwise intimidate others," will be suspended for five to 10 days and could be referred for expulsion. The details will automatically be referred to Chicago Police, who could hit students with criminal charges. This is unAmerican. Where's the respect for the constitutional right of freedom of speech? There are many ways to handle this problem, and trampling on the constitution isn't one of them. You people are the biggest bullies on the planet, and unethical at that. Lazy, too, for taking the easy way out. More people with a wasted education. Might as well move to China where there's no pretense about having the right to free speech.  Students caught using CPS computers to harass others could also lose their computer privileges. * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25893 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
There’s Only One Way to Stop a Bully By SUSAN ENGEL and MARLENE SANDSTROM / NEW YORK TIMES July 22, 2010 HERE in Massachusetts, teachers and administrators are spending their summers becoming familiar with the new state law that requires schools to institute an anti-bullying curriculum, investigate acts of bullying and report the most serious cases to law enforcement officers. This new law was passed in April after a group of South Hadley, Mass., students were indicted in the bullying of a 15-year-old girl, Phoebe Prince, who committed suicide. To the extent that it underlines the importance of the problem and demands that schools figure out how to address it, it is a move in the right direction. But legislation alone can’t create kinder communities or teach children how to get along. That will take a much deeper rethinking of what schools should do for their students. * * * What’s more, the danger of anti-bullying laws, which have now been passed by all but six states, is that they may subtly encourage schools to address this complicated problem quickly and superficially. Many schools are buying expensive anti-bullying curriculum packages, big glossy binders that look reassuring on the bookshelf and technically place schools closer to compliance with the new laws. But our research on child development makes it clear that there is only one way to truly combat bullying. As an essential part of the school curriculum, we have to teach children how to be good to one another, how to cooperate, how to defend someone who is being picked on and how to stand up for what is right. Yes, students need to be asked to be polite. But that's not enough. Students also need to develop backbone. They need to learn how to handle adversity. Those inclined to bully need to be guided to kindness, and those inclined to be hurt need to be guided to fortitude. If you want to deal with this issue in the right way--in the way that preserves American values and individual liberty--then you need school psychologist Izzy Kalman's Bullies2Buddies approach. There's not another psychologist whom I've read about who comes close to getting this issue right. I have absolutely no financial ties with Izzy and only sporadic and brief email communications. In other words, I'm not promoting Izzy because I get something out of it. I'm promoting him because he's doing the right things. * * * Susan Engel is a senior lecturer in psychology and the director of the teaching program at Williams College, where Marlene Sandstrom is a professor of psychology.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25721 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Online Bullies Pull Schools Into the Fray By JAN HOFFMAN / NEW YORK TIMES June 28, 2010 This is an in-depth report with over 540 comments. The girl’s parents, wild with outrage and fear, showed the principal the text messages: a dozen shocking, sexually explicit threats, sent to their daughter the previous Saturday night from the cellphone of a 12-year-old boy. Both children were sixth graders at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, N.J. Punish him, insisted the parents. “I said, ‘This occurred out of school, on a weekend,’ ” recalled the principal, Tony Orsini. “We can’t discipline him.” Had they contacted the boy’s family, he asked. Too awkward, they replied. The fathers coach sports together. What about the police, Mr. Orsini asked. A criminal investigation would be protracted, the parents had decided, its outcome uncertain. They wanted immediate action. They pleaded: “Help us.” You know what this is? Lazy parenting. What are parents going to do during the summer when school is out of session? Stop depending on schools to solve your problems. Teach your children how to handle adversity. The problem is that public schools have taken on so much of what used to be parenting--through legislative mandate encouraged by both schools and parents--that parents don't want to do it anymore. Taking the easy way out is not what's best for your children. * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25691 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
State Senate passes bill that cracks down on school bullying By Kenneth Lovett / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF June 23rd 2010 ALBANY - The state Senate late Tuesday night gave overwhelming final passage to a bill designed to crack down on school bullying. The bill passed the Assembly last month and would prohibit harassment and discrimination, including threats of violence, based on sexual orientation, race, religion, weight, gender and disability. So, is a health or gym teacher bullying when s/he takes action to have individual students lose weight? Government never defines it's own coercive actions as bullying even though they plainly fall within the modern misdefinition of the word. Every government and every school retains order and authority precisely because it retains the right to bully the noncompliant. Of course, rather than see this right to use force or impose sanctions against citizens and students as an exception to the no-bullying rule, other words such as "justice" and "discipline"--words without negative connotations--are used, just as in this quote from St. Augustine's The City of God:
Bullying is not only part of life, but essential to government and society. Indeed, government is importantly the institutionalization of bullying. Anyone being called to task for bullying another can legitimately ask the condemnor whether (s)he isn't also engaged in the same conduct. * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25636 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
State's new anti-bullying law goes into effect EDUCATION: Measure schools to have plans to deal with problem The Associated Press via The Olympian June 11, 2010 Washington's expanded new anti-bullying law went into effect on Thursday to tackle what statistics show has become a growing problem in the state. State education officials say nearly 15,000 students were suspended because of bullying in the 2008-2009 school year and 442 were expelled. Bullying the bullies. Exactly the wrong thing to do. What else could you expect from the profession that understands children? The best way to deal with bullying is explained by school psychologist Izzy Kalman's Bullies-2-Buddies website. Izzy begins with this irrefutable observation: "Oddly, bullying seems to be have become an escalating problem during the same period that society has been fighting it the hardest!" * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25401 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Town Hall meeting on school bullying slated by Phil Noble / Cowboy State Free Press (WY) May 10, 2010 CHEYENNE– Wyoming’s first-ever town hall on bullying will be held on Thursday, May 13, in Cheyenne, according to a release from the state Dept. of Education. * * * It is a chance for diverse groups of people including law enforcement, parents, school staff, administration, and community members to gather in the same place at the same time, share their concerns, and hear different perspectives. The town hall will include a discussion panel, and a question and answer period for those in attendance. Parents and all community members are invited to attend and share their thoughts, comments and ideas. Excellent idea. It's time to relieve the shrinks and educators of exclusive control over this issue.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25342 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
State schools get orders on anti-bullying plans by Bobby Harrison / NEMS Daily Journal May 1, 2010 JACKSON – Mississippi school districts are now required to have a policy in place by the end of this calendar year to deal with bullying. * * * The bill defines bullying or harassing behavior as placing “a student or school employee in actual and reasonable fear of harm...” and “creates a hostile environment by substantially interfering with or impairing a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits.” * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25186 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
New program gives combative teenagers a chance to change By MEG HAGERTY / Glens Falls Post-Star April 13, 2010 Brad Facteau, 16, of Corinth, admits he was a “troublemaker,” always involved in fights in junior high school. He didn’t like derogatory comments other kids were making about his parents. “Insults about my family, that’s one thing that sets me off the most. If you said anything, I would have hit you,” Facteau said. So, one person, when bullied, commits suicide, while another engages in street justice. If the victim commits suicide, the bullies are charged with a crime. If the victim punches out the bullies, then the victim is charged with a crime. In this case, Brad is held accountable for his reactions, regardless of what the bullies did to trigger them. If you're bullied and play the victim, your tormentors are punished, but if you stand up to your tormentors and hit them, then you are sent to juvenile detention and ordered into counseling and your tormentors likely go free. Shouldn't we encourage people to solve their own problems instead of encouraging them to become dependent? Shouldn't we teach them how to be big enough to take a few insults without doing violence to themselves or others? * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25167 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Bullying: Didn't You Know It's Just a Sport? Carol Smaldino / Huffington Post April 1, 2010 * * * We need to get serious about the urgent need to focus on adult bullying of other adults, something at times dramatic and at others so usual as to be part of the staples of our living conditions. We routinely demean those who think or believe things different than we, who are of a different race or sexual orientation. And, a propos of the brain, we have stopped thinking when it comes to the extent of the names we call each other whether out loud or behind the backs of so called friends and enemies alike. Recall the recent shout, "Baby killer," in the halls of Congress. Name-calling is simply an excuse for not thinking. Once we put a label on someone, we don't have to think any more about it. The label entitles, or empowers, us to switch to autopilot in reacting to the labeled person. No group uses name-calling more than educators and shrinks. * * * I submit that the adults who model bullying behavior are at as much risk as the children who bully in the schoolyard. There is an underlying depression and low self-worth. Simply put, secure and happy people do not hold onto resentments to the point at which they act out sadistically. Secure people are too busy loving and living to spend so much time hating. Did you see it? The name-calling followed by autopilot, stereotypical non-thinking and a one-size-fits-all reaction? It's in the paragraph. Listen up, please. We need "zero tolerance" for the lack of tolerance in our society. Frankly, the whole notion of "zero tolerance" is a term that needs to be overhauled simply because, on the whole, we regularly prove an inability to tolerate, to have tolerance not only for each other but for finding out the real reasons all of this is occurring. We need to begin with listening (without a rush to judgment) to the stories on all sides: those of the bullied and the bullies as well. We need to know and understand not only the outer plot but the stories that are percolating on the inside of all of the players. Just the other day, a young boy I treat in New York said it so clearly: "Zero tolerance is a bad joke. It's a term with no meaning. Everybody bullies. The teachers can be just as bad because they panic or something, like they are so scared someone will hurt themselves. They either act like it's not happening or they rush to tell on you if you look the wrong way. It's not about caring -- it's about how scared they are of getting in trouble. Everyone is so messed up, so how do they expect kids to 'reach out' to grown-ups when it's just gonna make you feel like killing yourself even more? It is not a phenomenon, it is a school sport." Everybody bullies. An absolute truth. And part of the reason why it's true is that the meaning of "bullying" has been extended to cover anything that might make another person feel uncomfortable. The solution to the bullying problem isn't to eliminate bullying--which has its useful aspects as well as its detriments. The solution is to teach people how to ignore or cope with the nonsense. The corollary to "Everybody is a bully," is "Everybody is bullied," one way or another. People need to develop the self-confidence that lets them consider the bullying by others against them to be practically irrelevant. It's the only course of action that is consistent with the right of free speech. * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 25110 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Anti-bullying bill passes House By Nancy Badertscher / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution March 30, 2010 The Georgia House passed controversial legislation Tuesday that would require school officials to notify parents when their child is involved as either the victim or instigator of bullying. * * * [Education department] policy will include age-appropriate consequences for bullying from kindergarten through 12th grade, and the same will be true for the local school system policy updates that will follow, Jacobs said. Current policies only deal with bullying in sixth through 12th grades, he said. * * * The bill says bullying can be threats of injury, displays of force used to intimidate a victim, or written, verbal and physical acts “which a reasonable person would perceive as being intended to threaten, harass or intimidate.”
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 24947 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Senate OK’s bill to curtail bullying Emotions high on Beacon Hill By James Vaznis, Boston Globe Staff March 12, 2010 * * * The bill would require school districts to adopt a policy to prevent and address bullying at school and on the Internet, including a requirement to notify parents of victims and perpetrators. It also empowers school administrators to discipline students if they bully peers on the Internet outside school, in cases where it affects a victim while at school, and to refer any case that involves criminal actions to law enforcement officials. Another knife in the belly of the United States Constitution. Public schools are fundamentally inconsistent with the First Amendment. * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 24505 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Cyber-bullying can be protected speech Posted by Jeffrey Roy / Franklin School Committee blog December 14, 2009 To this well-written summary I add that even speech that disrupts public schools may be protected under various circumstances. I also note, as I have in other posts, that public schools are fundamentally inconsistent with the First Amendment. The erosion of free speech rights to maintain order in public schools, silencing buffoons and serious dissenters alike, is a disgrace, and an excellent example of what happens as government expands its roles beyond those mentioned in the Constitution. With every expansion of government comes a concomitant need to limit criticism and other types of speech. The freedom of speech--a right so simple to read and understand--has become so complex that not even lawyers can tell you with certainty what you may say and when you may say it, particularly if it expresses a sentiment opposed by the majority or the powerful. It's criminal what the courts and legislatures have done to the innate right to speak your mind freely. It has nurtured an environment of deceit and manipulation to the substantial detriment of truth and honesty. One morning in May 2008, an eighth-grader walked into her school counselor’s office at a Beverly Hills school crying. She was upset and humiliated and couldn’t possibly go to class, the girl told the counselor. The night before, a classmate had posted a video on YouTube with a group of other eighth-graders bad-mouthing her, calling her “spoiled,” a “brat” and a “slut.” Text and instant messages had been flying since. This incident, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times, is all too familiar to school officials throughout the country. It’s referred to as cyber-bullying, and it highlights the much-debated problem of identifying and limiting the authority that a school has over the online expression of its students. A murky trail of legal cases and decisions have left school officials wondering what to do. But in several cases, the courts have told schools to back off because cyber-bullying, while it may be offensive, constitutes protected speech. In the Beverly Hills incident, disciplinary action was taken by the school district resulting in the suspension of the girl responsible for posting the offensive video online. The suspended student took the case to federal court, saying her free speech rights were violated. A United States District judge in Los Angeles sided with the student, saying the school went too far. In a 60 page opinion [pdf], Judge Steven V. Wilson wrote: To allow the school to cast this wide a net and suspend a student simply because another student takes offense to their speech, without any evidence that such speech caused a substantial disruption of the school’s activities, runs afoul (of the law). . . . The court cannot uphold school discipline of student speech simply because young persons are unpredictable or immature, or because, in general, teenagers are emotionally fragile and may often fight over hurtful comments. * * * The United States Supreme Court has not yet weighed in on the First Amendment issues at play. But lower courts throughout the country have tackled the issue and protected the speech. In Pennsylvania, a student sued his school district after he was suspended for 10 days and placed in an alternative education program for creating what he claimed was a parody MySpace profile of the school principal. On the Web site, the student referred to the principal as a “big steroid freak,” and a “big whore,” among other things, and stated that he was “too drunk to remember” the date of his birthday. District Court Judge Terrence McVerry found [pdf] that even though the profile was unquestionably “lewd, profane and sexually inappropriate,” the school did not have the right to restrict the student’s speech because school officials were not able to establish that the profile caused enough of a disruption on campus. “The mere fact that the Internet may be accessed at school does not authorize school officials to become censors of the world-wide web,” he wrote. That case is pending in the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. To read the lower court opinion, click here [pdf]. Administrators barred a Connecticut high school student from running in a student election after the student criticized administrators online for their handling of a student festival. You can read more about this case by clicking here. In Florida, the ACLU sued a principal on behalf of a student who was suspended and removed from her honors class for “cyber-bullying.” Katie Evans had created a Facebook page criticizing an English teacher as “the worst teacher I’ve ever met,” and invited others to express their “feelings of hatred.” Click here for information on that case. Closer to home, five Miscoe Hill School (Mendon, MA) students were suspended after officials pegged them as participants in a Facebook group devoted to slapping a school official. You can read the full report from the Milford Daily News by clicking here. An in-depth article from the Boston College Law Review [pdf] analyzes recent cases on the issue and argues that courts should apply a “control and supervision” test, derived from the analysis used in negligent supervision cases and Title IX cases for student-on-student sexual harassment, to determine whether a school has the authority to discipline a student for his or her online speech. While we have not been directly confronted with the issue in Franklin, we did have some policy discussions several months ago concerning the use of social media in the school setting. Our resulting policy attempted to balance the First Amendment with the need to provide a safe environment for students. We also recognized that these are evolving issues, and that we should endeavor to teach students to properly use resources, including online tools. Those policies reflect the spirit of the words of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens in New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325, 385-86 (1985): “The schoolroom is the first opportunity most citizens have to experience the power of government. Through it passes every citizen and public official, from schoolteachers to policemen and prison guards. The values they learn there, they take with them in life.” * * * *
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 24431 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
A California School Board Votes Out Curriculum on Anti-Gay Bullying By Mary Ann Zehr / Curriculum Matters blog December 11, 2009 The school board in Alameda, Calif., has reversed its decision to support an elementary school curriculum on anti-gay bullying. It had adopted the curriculum in May but voted this week to phase it out, according to The Associated Press. The board decided to instead supplement more generic anti-bullying lessons with children's books that address different kinds of discrimination, including bias against gays. It sounds from the article that community members, both those that supported and opposed the curriculum on anti-gay bullying, are still uneasy about where the matter stands. Remember, the system produces precisely the results it's designed to produce. This is a perfect example. Most parents are furious that teachers are talking about gay issues with elementary students. Others are furious that bullying against gays will not be specifically addressed. So, what do you get in a one-size-fits-all classroom? A compromise that disgusts everyone. This result is completely avoidable. In schools designed for The 21st Century Student, parents can choose the curriculum they believe best suits their childrens' interests, needs and desires. Different choices might even be made for different children within the same family. People with different but legitimate viewpoints each can get what they want and the only people who lose are the educators who believe only professionals are qualified to select the content to be imposed on children. That idea has to die.
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| Ben Leichtling (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
Of course, the superintendent is right that it’s a huge problem and not entirely the school’s fault. But he’s alienated the community whose support he needs to do his part to solve the part of the problem at school. That superintendent is positioned perfectly to make a significant difference. And he’s blowing the opportunity that is legitimately his; he has responsibility, leadership and authority. He should jump in with both feet to do his share of the solution. He should say, “I want to end harassment, bullying and abuse in our schools. Here’s a draft of a plan. Let’s talk about how we can better the plan and how you good people can rally behind it so we can turn the tide and make the school safe for our kids.” The superintendent is also wasting the summer; his best opportunity to get programs developed and installed. Summer is the best time to do the behind-the-scenes work to get an anti-bullying, anti-abuse campaign ready so they begin resolutely on the first day of school. Wall plaques and general laws saying that students must respect each other are nice but ineffective by themselves. A detailed program with clear consequences, implemented strategically, firmly and continually can solve 90% of the problems at school. That’s the best that schools can do Also, that would be teaching children and teenagers that the adult authorities will actually fulfill their responsibility. New York may also need laws to force this superintendent to do his job. Disclosure: I’m the author of the books and CDs “How to Stop Bullies in Their Tracks” and “Parenting Bully-Proof Kids.” I’m available for coaching, consulting and speaking. To find practical, real-world tactics to stop bullies and bullying at home, school, work and in relationships, see my web site and blog at BulliesBeGone. | ||
| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 22569 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Anti-discrimination law would cut school bullying, suicides A Schenectady (NY) Daily Gazette Letter to the Editor April 19, 2009 Get Immediate Help: Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) The rash of student suicides at Schenectady High School demonstrates the urgent need for the Dignity for All Students Act [DASA], legislation that would empower educators in Schenectady and throughout the state to provide all students a safe, comfortable learning environment. Nonsense. What this law would do is empower the ACLU, judges and lawyers. Educators have all the power they need to encourage students to be friendly, kind and courteous. Beyond that, students need to be fortified against adversity. They need to be given the skills and attitudes to overcome adversity and to use it to their advantage. The ACLU's approach is to encourage students to take on the role of helpless victim rather than self-sufficient survivor. For a sensible alternative to the anti-bullying movement, see Bullies to Buddies by Israel C. "Izzy" Kalman, a New York school psychologist and psychotherapist since 1978. DASA, which the Assembly passed April 8, would amend state education law to protect public school students from harassment and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, weight, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. The bill's protections are not limited to these categories, as it aims to protect students from any harassment that substantially interferes with their education. The bill would require teachers and staff to be trained to properly address instances of harassment and discrimination. It would require monitoring and reporting of such incidents. School is a nightmare for students facing daily harassment. Victims of persistent harassment lose focus on class work, skip school, engage in drinking, drugs and other high-risk behaviors, and, most tragically, often contemplate suicide. Gov. Paterson has endorsed DASA. The state Senate must quickly pass this important legislation. The tragic suicides that rocked Schenectady High School demonstrate the terrible toll persistent bullying exacts on children. We can't wait another day. Melanie Trimble Albany The writer is director of the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
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| Jerry Moore (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 22441 Registered: 01-2000 Rating: N/A |
Student bullied before suicide, aunt says By LAUREN STANFORTH, Albany (NY) Times Union Staff writer April 8, 2009 Get Immediate Help: Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) SCHENECTADY - One of the four female students who recently committed suicide was bullied so severely she was awaiting a tutor in order to leave Schenectady High School, according to the girl's aunt. Shana Davis of Latham said her niece must have had other problems to see death as a reasonable way out. But the bullying she endured at the hands of other girls must have been a contributing factor, said Davis, who said her sister, the teen's mother, is too distraught to speak publicly. Very well said. Some people want to believe that bullying is the sole cause of their child's demise, but that is not generally the case. So-called bullying has been in public schools forever, but students didn't commit suicide over it. Students used to have thicker skins. Today's educators encourage thin skins, victimhood, and helplessness. Students have a right to not have others "make" them feel badly. If they are hurt, they should emphasize and dwell on the injury and report the victimization to an adult to handle. If educators did even a little of the work to thicken students' skins and to empower them, students would be a lot better off. That being said, I'm not implying anything about Shana's niece and my deepest sorrow and sympathies extend to the family and friends for their great loss. "She didn't want to be there," Davis said about her niece. "It was very clear she struggled." It has been rumored that bullies plagued some of the students who committed suicide. The first death occurred on Nov. 25. Others followed in late February and, most recently, April 2. All the students were black females, which is counter to typical suicide trends. More commonly for teens, white males commit suicide. A Harvard University suicide and trauma expert is helping organize community response to the tragedies, bringing together school staff, public and mental health experts, clergy and police to devise an outreach plan. Superintendent Eric Ely said in an email response to questions about Davis' comments that the district can not respond to questions about a particular student. ''We are always trying to find new ways and methods to address this growing problem among our young people,'' Ely wrote about the topic of bullying in general. ''The community is also beginning to understand that these activities are embedded within the neighborhoods and even in the homes across our city and across the country.'' Davis said her niece cried whenever she was pressed for details about what the other girls said or did to her. But the family knew the girl was being taunted on the way home from school and during lunch. "She never put into words what they would say. But it had to be more than calling her a bitch. There were some threats on more than one occasion," Davis said. Davis said about a month before the suicide, the girl's mother met with high school staff. School officials said because the girl didn't have the full names of the bullies, there was nothing they could do, Davis said. The family wanted to send the girl to the Career Center at Steinmetz, an alternative to Schenectady High School, but Steinmetz was full, Davis said. Ely said the Career Center is open to anyone. The center's Steinmetz Achievement Academy program is only for those who failed eighth or ninth grade, Ely wrote. The family still was awaiting word on a possible tutor for the girl when she committed suicide. Davis said she doesn't blame the school district but thinks staff there could have worked harder to protect her niece. "Somewhere, somehow it fell through the cracks," Davis said. A response to Schenectady suicides sought Parents, students come to hear what can be done to stop the deaths By LAUREN STANFORTH, Albany (NY) Times Union Staff writer April 8, 2009 SCHENECTADY Fifteen-year-old Janell Johnson stood up Tuesday night and said what many of her peers likely wouldn't have the guts to say in front of hundreds of adults. ''Just help us,'' Johnson said at a community meeting held at Mont Pleasant Middle School to address Schenectady's recent rash of teen suicides. ''We need help.'' Johnson was one of the few students in attendance among a sea of parents, school staff and community members who came to hear from suicide prevention and trauma expert Harvard University researcher Robert Macy and to ask questions about how to stop what now number four female student suicides in the last five months. The most recent, a 14-year-old girl, was found dead Thursday. Macy is now working closely with the school district and local community agencies to device a strategy for reaching out to Schenectady's teens. His talk Tuesday resembled a sermon more than an academic lecture, an opportunity to try and lift up a community heavy with grief. ''The darkness shall not overcome the light,'' Macy said to the crowd's applause. Macy said he's been involved with helping during at least eleven other ''clusters'' a term used to describe suicides that are linked in some way, such as students from the same school. He said all suicide clusters eventually end, although one in Ireland and Wales took seven years to subside, he said. ''Nothing is ever going to stop us until we stop this,'' Macy told the audience. Macy alluded to the challenges facing the city's teenagers, from absent parents to violence. But he never addressed specific causes of Schenectady's tragedy. The researcher said he met with about 30 teens Tuesday. ''Your kids told me this today, they don't feel safe,'' Macy said. Johnson said she was good friends with two of the girls who killed themselves and doesn't know why they did it. ''I guess kids are so depressed,'' she said. But what bothers her most is that Schenectady High School teachers read a note to classes each time a suicide happens. Then, it's all that's talked about in the hallways, Johnson said. ''It becomes the center of attention,'' she said. Shana Davis, who is close with the family of one student who committed suicide, stood up and asked people to stop speculating about causes. ''If you don't know, don't say nothing,'' she said. Macy and many audience members called for an end to divisiveness no doubt a response to the school district saying the suicides aren't solely its problem, and others saying the district hasn't done enough. Superintendent Eric Ely made a brief statement before the meeting, but left to attend a Board of Education meeting going on down the hall. Stop the bullying An Albany (NY) Times Union Editorial April 10, 2009 The collective pain in Schenectady must be even worse today. For here comes a possible explanation — an entirely tangible one, yet — for what may have contributed to the latest in a rash of suicides at the city's public high school. Shana Davis of Latham says that her niece had been severely bullied before becoming the fourth girl in less than five months to take her own life. Now, Ms. Davis isn't suggesting that's the only reason her niece succumbed to such utter desperation. The girl must have been troubled in other ways, her aunt says. Yet for bullying to be among even the plausible reasons for something as tragic as the suicide of a 14-year-old ought to send an alarm to a community that's looking to save the next potential victim. "We are always trying to find new ways and methods to address this growing problem among our young people," Schenectady school Superintendent Eric Ely wrote about bullying, in an e-mailed response to Ms. Davis' concerns. "The community is also beginning to understand that these activities are embedded within the neighborhoods and even in the homes across our city and across the country." Well. An aggressive, no-tolerance attitude toward bullying, one that genuinely empowers kids, would seem to be imperative. "Girl to girl bullying has changed a lot over the years," says Ebony Belmar, a social worker at Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady. "It's more aggressive and more violent."' That's just pure nonsense. Girl to girl "bullying" was fist to fist, roll on the ground, enraged fighting when I was in school. It didn't cause suicides. The difference back then is that students, and people in general, could take as good as they gave. People had it out, then they made up or moved on. You cannot end bullying, but you can teach students how to better deal with adversity and that's what public schools need to do while they encourage students to be kind to each other. * * * *
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