One Billion Rising: Sexual Harassment, Rape and Bullying Are All Part of a Continuum of Violence
On Feb. 14, Eve Ensler has organized ONE BILLION RISING to DANCE and DEMAND an end to violence against women. Thousands will participate in events in more than 187 countries. One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime.
Bullying prevention researcher Dorothy Espelage found that sexual harassment, homophobic teasing, and bullying are often inter-related. In an AAUW survey of 1,965 students, nearly half the boys and girls grades 7-12 reported sexual harassment that included intimidation and unwelcome sexual behavior. According to the New York Times, "what bothered [young women] most was something different, and far less likely to be covered under the common rubric of the bullying prevention program: unwelcome sexual comments, jokes or gestures."
Students can learn to reject comments such as "That's so gay" and "You throw like a girl," and speak up instead of egging on a fight. They can learn to refuse to participate in spreading a hurtful video or text with words such as "slut" or "ho."
As part of your Not In Our School efforts, take this opportunity to share this important information with your students and have them help you discuss ways to raise awareness. Check out this video with students teaching dance moves on their website.
New NIOS Group in West Jordan, Utah! 
The students of Sunset Ridge Middle School in West Jordan, UT have made it clear that they will not tolerate a single incident of bullying. Earlier in the school year, a student found a post-it note on her backpack criticizing her weight. Rather than ignoring the incident, the entire school rallied behind her, spread post-it notes that said “Not In Our School.”
This was the beginning of a new student-led anti-bullying campaign. The educators at the school are proud of how quickly the students took action and spread positivity throughout the school. Their Not In Our School campaign has already planned different themes for each school year. This year, the focus of the program will be respect. In the next couple years, the themes will be diversity and empathy. We are proud of the students for taking charge of a long-term anti-bullying campaign and we are excited to see how the campaign grows.
Coolest Kids Also the Biggest Bullies, Says New Study
Does aggression promote social status? According to a new study by researchers at UCLA, it does. The researchers found a correlation between aggression and social status in both male and female middle school students. “The ones who are cool bully more, and the ones who bully more are seen as cool,” said Jaana Juvonen, a professor of psychology and lead author of the study.
The study’s findings support the anti-bullying strategies of Not in Our School: Change the perception of bullying by changing the role of bystanders. By making bystanders into upstanders, bullying will be perceived as negative and will not elevate social status.
Marshalltown, Iowa makes “Not In Our Town” Anti-bullying Video 
The students of Marshalltown High School in Marshalltown, IA created this video to promote their community-wide anti-bullying campaign that has garnered enormous support. The football players of the high school have supported the movement by wearing “Not In Our Town” stickers on their helmets, and the students have shown their support by holding “Not In Our Town” posters at the games. The video reinforces their similarities rather than their differences.
Facebook Compassion Research Day
Several members of the Not In Our School staff attended Facebook’s Compassion Research Day. It is good to know that the Facebook staff is seriously looking at ways to limit cyberbullying and make Facebook a safer place for the millions of users across the world. The day included presentations by researchers from Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence as well as Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research in Education and Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. The day ended with a lively panel of LGBTQ youth who shared how Facebook featured in their lives as important tools to communicate, but shared that they also experienced anti-gay slurs.
Peace First Prize
Peacemaking is a simple but powerful idea: it’s the creative process of engaging with others to make positive and lasting change.The Peace First Prize will showcase young people who have confronted injustice, crossed lines of difference, and had the courage and compassion to create lasting change.
Five Prize winners will each receive a $50,000 Peace First Fellowship over two years to continue their peacemaking work. But more than just recognizing a few individuals, Peace First aims to tell the thousands of stories about how young people are changing the world. To enter and read more about the contest, visit their website.
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