The Worst Kind of Bullying
Child abuse is the worst form of bullying. Each one of us has the power to be the Go-To Adult. To me, the biggest concern is kids suffering in silence. How do we get them to talk to a “trusted adult.” We become worthy of their trust. If kids know we care and they won’t be […]
Expecting More of Each Other
Life is funny. Sometimes you meet the most interesting people in the most random ways. A few months ago, I was helping my friend Gary Russo (a.k.a. Second Avenue Sinatra) with organizing a singing appearance at a fundraiser in Texas. The Westlake Academy UNICEF President, Qaleb Pillai, reached out to Gary to ask him to […]
Bullying, Forgiveness and a Little Summer Reflection
When someone hurts us or even worse, hurts our children, the anger can run deep. Legitimately deep. One of the knotted strings in the tangled ball of bullying is how our anger can eat us up. It takes up our brain space and holds us back from anything positive. The reality is, it’s like being […]
Siblings, The Summer, and Bullying
This week’s anti-bullying buzz is about siblings. A new study published by the journal Pediatrics, reveals that sibling bullying can be just as harmful as peer bullying to children’s mental health. When kids are out of school and spending more time as a family, it’s an important thing to be aware of. How brothers and […]
Leadership: Josh’s Example
Leadership. It’s so powerful but it can be so simple. Josh’s story is proof that it can also be catching. In his case, it was also the answer to overcoming the long tail of pain that bullying causes. If you have children, I encourage you to show them Josh’s story. My favorite part is hearing […]
Bullying: Are Schools Entirely to Blame?
The last post was from the perspective of a parent. It’s also fair to look at things from the perspective of the school. What I hear from many elementary school principals is that “bullying” has become such a talked about subject, parents and kids are confused by what it means. I was told by one […]
Little Upstanders Make a Big Difference
Bullying prevention is complicated. Sometimes it seems that it’s bigger than all of us but it’s not insurmountable. We have an untapped army out there. If we start training bystanders to start stepping up from an early age, we’ve got a shot at creating safe and caring school climates. Read on. We can learn from […]
Parents and Children: Lessons on Leadership from Boston
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”― Fred Rogers Boston. Poor Boston. Poor parents trying to explain this to their children, especially after Newtown. I am truly empathetic because, as a […]
Everyone Needs a “Blocker”: Leadership Lessons from Nebraska
Friendship. It’s a life saver. I’ve been lucky. I’ve had many friends but I’ve also gone through times in my life when people who I thought were my friends were somehow absent when I really needed one. I’ve also had the situation when people who I didn’t think I knew well, stepped up and really […]
Untangling the Mess of Bullying
When Emily Bazelon’s new book, Sticks and Stones, recently came out, it reignited the bullying prevention conversation. It comes in ebbs and flows. I can’t comment on the book yet. I’m hoping to get my copy soon but a recent interview in the Huffington Post made me want to pick up the phone and call […]
