If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
In our quick fix, short attention span culture, shaking a finger is not enough. Just like the much-parodied mantra of the '80s and '90s to "Just Say No" to drugs, simply saying "Stop Bullying" will never change deeply entrenched cultural attitudes.
The bullying by middle school students of Karen Klein, a school bus monitor in upstate New York, captured on video and viewed by millions online, sends a distressing message about the state of civility in our society.
Trying to address all the calls we get about anti-LGBTQ bullying feels like treating the symptoms without addressing the illness. The real issue is this: How do we stop the calls from coming in?
we must not give in to the temptation to respond to bullying with punishment. This is unsustainable and ineffective; we must instead use insightful adult intervention to instill in our children a respect for all their peers, and a desire to learn from their differences, not erase them.
In light of Karen Klein, the bus monitor from Greece, N.Y. whose victimization at the hand of child bullies has taken the news and social media by storm, I have been thinking a lot about bullies lately. I imagine many of us have been.
We can't blame the parents for Karen Klein's bullying experience. Nor can we blame teachers. But perhaps we can blame a system that is not designed to create a peaceful, respectful community.
In the short number of days since the Karen Klein story broke, several of the 13-year-old boys involved have received death threats. Why is it so much easier to see these kids as inhumane monsters than it is to see them as children who are in need of serious help?
Maines men don't talk about our feelings. Maybe if we had talked it would have stopped my worrying about the questions they were afraid to ask. Maybe it could have been a start.
Here's the scenario: I'm driving the minivan with a kid in tow. Some "gentlemen" (benefit of the doubt, people) in front of me has his right blinker on... you can guess the rest.
The world can be a dangerous place. Children and teenagers should be equipped with the tools needed to battle a bully or anyone else who poses a threat to their well-being.
Taking on the immense issue of girls' waning self-confidence seemed overwhelming, so we began with what we know how to do: telling engaging stories with relatable characters. Then we partnered up with girl-created non-profits.
For too many of our children, attending school can be a frightening experience. As parents, families, friends, and allies we need to do something to make schools safer for ALL students.
Adults often underestimate children's ability to grasp the heart of a concept -- or run with an idea of their own -- but we're wrong. They're a lot smarter and more take-charge than we think. We're seeing that ability take hold now with bullying.
A girl at my school started a "compliments" Facebook page, in which compliments that anyone submits about anyone else can be posted anonymously. In the first night, over 70 were posted!
Often, our public discourse regarding the need to end bullying centers around the assumption that children are only bullied at school. That assumption couldn't be further from the truth.
This blog is my way to share with you the one project that I feel is the most important one of my life: The Bully Chronicles. The film will feature real teens, teachers, and parents. For the first time, the story will be told from the bully's perspective.
Most Popular
