Bullying: Parents Are The Best Long Term Medicine
Phoebe Prince’s suicide and the stories of bullying from South Hadley, Massachusetts have so many parents worried. And for good reason. But it’s parents who have the power. For parents whose children have been bullied, you might relate to these feelings: stomach in knots, dreams of dismembering the bullies, feelings of powerlessness, frustration, fear, and […]
Come On America, Untangle This Mess!
This blog on bullying is called Tangled Ball. Why? Because bullying is a messy, complicated problem. What’s happening in South Hadley, Massachusetts right now is the clearest example of how the lives of our young, our families and our schools are being lost or diminished at the hands of unchecked mean behavior. If you are […]
Nine Teenagers Charged. How Many Lessons Learned?
The tragedy keeps unfolding. I feel like the whole country got a glass of ice water thrown on their face. Anyone who’s been on the fence about whether bullying is just “kids being kids” got a wake up call. No one wants to be Phoebe Prince’s family tonight. No one wants to be one of […]
Bullying Makes Kids Feel Desperate
An eight-year-old boy jumped out of a second story window at his school this past week because of bullying. Eight. He was repeatedly teased. Told over and over again that he was stupid. He is dyslexic. The last straw was when a few other kids pulled down his pants. How demeaning. Hard to imagine the […]
The “Someone” Survey for Targets, Witnesses and Bullies
1. When I get up in the morning and get ready to go to school, I hope that I: A. Will feel anxious B. Will be disrespected C. Will feel that I have no friends D. Will feel that no one understands E. None of the above 2. When I go to the lunchroom, I […]
What Really Works When You’re Trying to Stop a Bully?
A really cool survey just came out. Youth Voice Project is the first known large scale research project reaching out to kids to specifically pinpoint what strategies work and which ones make things worse when it comes to bullying. More than 11,000 teens in 25 schools have participated. Kids were asked about the possible ways […]
ONE: Bullying Prevention in a Brilliant Little Package
There are many things to discuss about bullying this week: two new important studies, a brand new anti-bullying bill just passed by the Massachusetts legislature, and more incidents of serious bullying in the news and around the country, but out of all these subjects, I chose: ONE Everyone, no matter how old you or your […]
Seriously, We Have to Get Young Kids Off Facebook…
Common Sense Media came up with a great list of Facebook alternatives. A growing problem for parents is how to say “No” to Facebook but “Yes” to social media. We have to get together on this, parents. Safety in numbers. To repeat: The minimum age for Facebook is 13 but many parents are letting their […]
Bullying Survey: Good but NOT the Whole Story
Click on AP Story to Read. It’s short.It’s been a big week in the world of bullying prevention. A new national study,”Trends in Childhood Violence and Abuse Exposure” was released. A headline from an Associated Press story declares, U.S. Survey Finds Sharp Drop in Children’s Bullying Not to be presumptuous, but I’d like to do […]
Too Young for Facebook?
Raise your hand if you think 13 is too young for Facebook. Under 13? Actually, if you let your child create a Facebook page under the age of 13, you are allowing them to lie on the form. Isn’t that some type of crime? Or at the very least, a bad parenting message? Anyway, the […]
