Our Mission is to work with students, families, schools and community resources to enrich a student's success in school.

Bullying

Tips for Preventing Bullying
Bullying is not a factor in every case of violence in schools.  Also, not every child who is bullied will pose a risk for targeted violence in school.  However, bullying was a factor for a number of school shooters.  They even described it in terms of being "tormented."

Bullying often leads to violence.  It has a negative effect on the victim, the school climate which interferes with all children to be able to learn and achieve.  It is detrimental to all.

If the "bullying" took place in the workplace, it would have been considered harassment.  Adults do not put up with it from a colleague. We have measures and steps to protect us from harassment (bullying) in the workplace. So why do adults brush off children bullying others as just "children will be children?" Some children are told to "just accept it" as a fact of life. We need to protect our children's rights and strengthen our efforts to stop bullying!

Violence is an end result of a PROCESS.  Students don't just snap overnight.

• Teach children to tell adults if they hear that something violent may happen.
• Each child brings his/her own background to the table.  Each situation and potential threat to safety needs to be examined and assessed.
• All school shooters were reported to have "told someone."  Be sure you take what a student tells you seriously.  Do not brush off any remarks of violence, no matter how much the student makes light of it.
• Set up a plan, policy and procedure to be able to report and follow-up on threat or even warning signs.
• Improve the way that your school handles grievances and conflict.  Set up a peer mediation program for students to be able to access immediately.
• Teach Character Education.  The pillars of character include "Respect" and other important aspects of moral & social development.

Additional Information for Bullying Prevention:

Preventing Bullying: A Manual for Schools and Communities:  
US Dept. of Education.
(Order-FREE)

Our media resource center has some anti-bullying videos and curriculum.  These are available for check out to school staff and parents.  Some of the titles we have available:

WHO Program - anti-victimization (Elem)
Bully Free Classroom (MS)
What To Do About Anger (2-4)
The Be Cool Series (Elem & MS)
Groark, Prevent Violence Series: "Bullying" (Elem)
Kids for Character (Elem)
District Character Ed. (All)
Drug and Violence Education (All)
Peer Mediation> (3-12)

Sunburst:
Stop Teasing Me -K-2;
No More Teasing -2-4

AIMS Multimedia:
Bully No More (Elem)

AGC:
Get Real About Violence (All)