Local organization donates kits to help stop bullying
Phylis Coultre of Pantagraph.com highlighted the amazing work of The Peaceful Schools Committee in Normal, IL. The committee, which promotes teaching social skills, is planning on providing 15 BULLY DVD & Educator Toolkits to McLean County schools and organizations. With name-calling prevalent among 49 percent of 6th graders, 22 percent who report being physically harmed and 24 percent cyber-bullied in Illinois in 2012, the Peaceful Committee’s work has been appreciated by many, especially Parkside Junior High School principal Dan Lamboley, who said, “This is a really powerful thing.” Several Not In Our School films and resources are included in the BULLY DVD & Educator Toolkit, which has reached 1.9 million students. Order yours today.
Keeping students with disabilities safe from bullying
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) offered guidance to school districts that have been separating students with disabilities from the student body in an attempt to prevent them from getting bullied. Office acting assistant secretary Michael Yudin explains in his article, “Keeping Students with Disabilities Safe from Bullying,” that when a child with a disability is separated from their peers by the school district due to bullying, it is a violation of the Individuals With Disability Act. The Act ensures that every child with a disability has access to “free appropriate public education (FAPE)” in a non-restrictive environment.
He goes on to explain that each child with a disability has an individualized education program (IEP), which outlines FAPE and the best way to address and prevent bullying. “We applaud and commend the Department for reinforcing that when a child is being bullied, it is inappropriate to ‘blame the victim’ and remove them from the general education classroom,” said Ari Ne’eman, President of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. “School districts have an obligation to address the source of the problem –the stigma and prejudice that drives bullying behavior.”
Kids involved in bullying grow up to be poorer, sicker adults
Many believe that once a child leaves school, they can finally put their years of bullying behind them. But recent studies show that this claim is far from the truth.
Many believe that once a child leaves school, they can finally put their years of bullying behind them. But recent studies show that this claim is far from the truth.Researchers found, according to NPR’s Nancy Shute, that victims of bullying were six times more likely to have a serious illness like cancer or diabetes, six times as likely to smoke, and four times as likely to have been charged with a felony.
"These kids are continuing to have significant problems in their lives, years after the bullying has stopped," said William Copeland, co-author of the study. "It really is a significant public health concern."
Stand up on your campus today with the Not In Our School Quick Start Guide.
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