cyberbullying

Social Combat in Schools: Bullying on Anderson Cooper 360

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13 years
by in anger, bullying, cyberbullying, Parenting

As part of his ongoing series this week on the subject of bullying, Anderson Cooper talks to sociologist Robert Faris and author Rachel Simmons about the concept of “social combat,” and the culture of victimization in schools. This is a really interesting clip, revealing which kids tend to be most involved in bullying and which ones tend to stay above the fray. Revealing.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=us/2011/10/10/ac-bullying-faris-simmons.cnn

Bullyproofing – Four Steps to Build Your Daughter’s Personal Power

0
13 years
by in anger, assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, e-mail, Facebook, friends, kids, Parenting

What happens when harmless spats over sharing toys are replaced by cruel cyber-rumors about liking boys? Will your daughter know what to do when pint-sized pushes evolve into painful tween shoves? When the simplicity of forming a friendship just by climbing the same jungle gym is replaced by the intricacy of scaling middle-school social ladders, how can you teach your daughter to stand up to bullies?

http://www.jkp.com/blog/2011/10/article-signe-whitson-bullyproofing-four-steps-to-build-your-daughters-personal-power/

An Anti-Bullying Message that Encourages Bystanders to Make a Difference

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Please check out this great organization, Sweethearts and Heroes:

“You can hang up all the zero-tolerance posters you want, but at the end of the  day they don’t do a lot,” Murphy said. “It’s the students who are going to do  something about it. Victims believe they are the problem; that’s why they end up  killing themselves. You can be a hero to a kid if you pull him or her aside and  say, ‘Don’t worry about that guy; he’s like that to everybody.’ ”

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Taking-on-bullies-from-the-sidelines-2199608.php#ixzz1Ztzy3ryt

Stomp Out Bullying Day: 10/3/11

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13 years
by in anger, bullying, cyberbullying, friends, Parenting

In honor of the occasion:

Dealing with Rumors, Gossip, and Reputations

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13 years
by in assertiveness, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, Facebook, friends, online, Parenting

Check out this great article by Rachel Simmons, as featured in Teen Vogue: http://www.teenvogue.com/connect/2011/09/reputation-rehab?currentPage=1  Simmons shares real life stories of ruined reputations and how girls can cope with social ostracism.

The article is jam-packed with pearls of wisdom, but this quote from one of the gossip-survivors just rings especially true:

Elsa realized that denying the rumors seemed to make them worse, so she decided  to confront them head-on. “The more I was like, ‘It happened. Get over it,’ the  more people would drop it. I think that when you don’t tell people things and  they know it, they become even more invested in figuring out what it is. If  you’re honest and up-front about it, it goes away.”

Read More http://www.teenvogue.com/connect/2011/09/reputation-rehab#ixzz1Z9uExJkF

Re-thinking the “Drama” Approach to Bullying

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13 years
by in anger, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, friends, internet, kids, Parenting, parents

Please check out this is great, thought-provoking op-ed piece from the NY Times.  I whole-heartedly agree that with the authors that:

Interventions must focus on positive concepts like healthy relationships and digital citizenship rather than starting with the negative framing of bullying. The key is to help young people feel independently strong, confident and capable without first requiring them to see themselves as either an oppressed person or an oppressor.

It’s the social worker in me, I suppose; I am a strengths-perspective kinda girl.  In my new book, this is the approach I take.    While the book title Friendship & Other Weapons is used to convey to adult readers the nature of how girl bullying is acted out within relationships, girl participants will come to know their membership as part of a Real Friendships group.  As such, the solution-focused lessons, engaging group activities and relevant discussions will help girls cope with “drama” in honest, relationship-enhancing, self-affirming ways.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/opinion/why-cyberbullying-rhetoric-misses-the-mark.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Stop Bullying: Speak Up

5
13 years
by in Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, kids, Parenting

If you didn’t see it live, check out AC 360’s first segment from tonight’s broadcast, on the subject of Stopping Bullying.  A sad, sad story about the recent suicide of a 14 year old young man from New York, a maddening and unconscionable set of interviews from claim-to-be-Christian groups, and a brilliant pair of interviews from Rosalind Wiseman and Rachel Simmons.

Also, check out Anderson Cooper’s Stop Bullying: Speak Up Pledge via Facebook.

CNN Stays True to Stop Bullying: Speak Up Campaign

469
13 years
by in bullying, cyberbullying

Check out the Stop Bullying: Speak Up Campaign.  Great to see organizations staying true to their committment to prevent and stop bullying, even after the red camera light stops flashing.  Way to go, CNN and Anderson Cooper!

http://rosalindwiseman.com/2011/09/19/stop-bullying-speak-up-campaign-can-change-lives/

Sweethearts and Heroes

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13 years
by in bullying, cyberbullying, friends, kids

Over the years, I have met the most interesting and inspiring people, working in the field of child and adolescent mental health.   Through my work in helping kids develop skills to cope effectively with bullying, this list has instantly multiplied!

Check out Sweethearts and Heroes, a most unique and engaging organization founded jointly by a professional MMA fighter and a teacher.  Through teacher training, parent presentations, and assemblies geared especially for middle and high school audiences, Sweethearts and Heroes is developing strategies to put an end to bullying.

 “Through knowledge and communication we are committed to bringing our message to individual communities; not only to help the victims, but especially to empower bystanders to make a difference.  We all have the potential to be someone’s hero.” 

Check this innovative non-profit out on Facebook and add them to your Favorite pages.  You can also read about one of their recent school presentations, and watch co-founder Tom Murphy in action here: http://rochester.ynn.com/content/all_news/western_ny/557390/students-get-anti-bullying-tips-from-mma-fighter/

4 Rules for Using Assertive Communication to Stand Up to Bullies

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13 years
by in anger, angry smile, assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, friends, kids, Parenting

As sure as kids will go back to school each Fall in the U.S., bullying will be encountered in the classroom each school year. In these early days of August and September classes, would-be bullies are getting a feel for who they think might be an easy mark in the class. As the days wear on and a bully confirms that he or she can pick on specific classmates without their standing up for themselves, the bullying escalates. (more…)

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Signe Whitson is an author and educator on bullying, crisis intervention, and child and adolescent emotional and behavioral health. In her articles, books, and training workshops, Signe provides down-to-earth, practical advice for professionals and parents on navigating the daily challenges of living and working with children, tweens and teens.

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