What is Spirit Day?
The idea behind Spirit Day, first created by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, is a simple one, not dissimilar to the idea of "Spirit Week" held in many high schools, and can be summed up in three words: Everyone Rally Together.
Spirit Day honors the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. But just as importantly, it's also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face the same pressures and bullying, that there is a vast community of people who support them.
Purple symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT Pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.
As one of the event's Facebook pages says: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple."
Wearing purple on October 20 is a simple way to show the world that you stand by these courageous young people and a simple way to stand UP to the bullies. Remember those lives we've tragically lost, and show your solidarity with those who are still fighting. 'Go Purple' today!
Please RSVP to these events on Facebook: "R.I.P. ;; In memory of the recent suicides due to gay abuse, wear purple" and Spirit Day, A GLOBAL Day of remembering.
Are You in Need of Immediate Help?
LGBT youth in need of immediate help should contact The Trevor Project 's 24/7 Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386) or The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
click for my source
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
purple
Today is the “Purple Day,” and it is also known as “Spirit Day”. Chicago’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is encouraged to wear purple on Wednesday, October 20, as to raise awareness about LGBTQ harassment and suicide.
This day was formed by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, in response to the current spate of LGBT youth suicides, due to harassment. Spirit Day now counts millions of Americans devoted on Facebook to wearing the colour purple on Wednesday.
In addition to wearing the colour purple, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is also enquiring Americans to turn their Facebook and Twitter photos purple until Wednesday and to share messages of hold up for LGBT youth.
Local businesses are coming together to help lift up awareness. Scarlet and Minibar in Boystown will be contributing in ‘Painting the Town Purple’ with events on Wednesday start at 10 pm to benefit the Trevor Project.
The Trevor Project works the nation’s only 24-hour suicide and emergency prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. They also run TrevorChat, an online messaging service that joins young people with a counsellor.
Monday, October 18, 2010
If we don't take a stand, who will?
It happens in restrooms, in hallways, at recess, on playgrounds, in locker rooms, in cafeterias…any place in a school where adult supervision is minimal. Generations of students have suffered verbal and physical abuse at the hands of other students.
Despite intensified attention by educators, the problem of bullying continues to worsen. How much worse is it now than in the past? Each month thousands of students report they have been attacked by a classmate at school. Many students report they have been afraid to attend school at least once because of the threat of violence by a classmate.
The suicide in January of fifteen-year old Phoebe Prince, a high school student in South Hadley, Massachusetts, has brought renewed attention to the issue. As prosecutors file criminal charges against nine students at South Hadley High School, school officials and teachers across the nation have been forced to reexamine their policies and procedures designed to prevent bullying and help its victims cope with the aftermath of abuse by their classmates.
As more and more violent scenes are played out in our daily lives—reported to us through our news programs, enacted in television shows and movies, and portrayed in popular songs—we have a generation of children who are less sensitive to violence than preceding ones.
The weapons that make bullying effective in humiliating students are threats and fear. The misery that bullying brings to a hapless student who may just be perceived as different from the others in the class, far outweighs the sense that this is a normal part of growing up.
The worst aspect of the problem of bullying, however, is that many teachers admit they are slow to react when they observe a student picking on a classmate. These teachers either react unsympathetically when a complaint about a bully is made or simply turn away when they hear or see this type of abuse.
This policy of neglect would not be so surprising if teachers also felt safe at school, but many of us do not. Many teachers report that they have been insulted, subjected to obscene gestures, or threatened by their students. It is up to educators everywhere to take a stand against abuse. At the least, every student deserves that from us—the adults who are supposed to create a safe haven in each classroom so that every child can learn.
The first thing we need to do to stop this serious threat is to make sure we understand exactly what bullying is. Bullying can take three forms: physical abuse, verbal abuse, or cyber bullying. When physical abuse is involved, teachers are more likely to react to stop it. It is so overt that we are forced to act. Verbal abuse is far more widespread and often more easily tolerated by teachers. Verbal abuse includes name-calling, teasing, racist remarks, rumors, and other insults or slurs. Finally, cyber bullying is a growing threat as more and more students use social networking sites to connect with their classmates.
There are eleven steps teachers can take in order to deal with the problem of bullying in general. These strategies are designed to be followed in sequence when you have to deal with an incident involving bullying in your class. Following these steps, you will find strategies for helping students who are victims of cyber bullying.
End bullying with these 11 Steps.....
Step 1
Make sure your school’s policy is clear and up-to-date on this issue. Every staff member should have a copy of the policy. Students should also be aware of the school’s policy and the consequences involved. If your school does not have a well-defined policy, it is important that you raise the issue with colleagues.
Step 2
A very positive step you can take with your students is to discuss the issue and allow them to talk about their fears and beliefs on the topic of bullying. They can work together to establish peer group support and to help each other see how wrong this type of abuse is. You do not have to give up hours of instructional time to accomplish this. Even a few minutes can start positive change in your school.
Step 3
Be alert for the early signs of bullying. Often teachers only see the tip of the iceberg because bullies prefer to target victims in unsupervised areas. If, for example, you notice that several students have targeted one of their classmates for disrespect or that a student is having trouble making adjustments to your class at the beginning of the term, be aware that more may be going on than you see. When students say they are “just joking,” don’t be naive. Speak privately to the offending students to make sure they know than what they are doing is in violation of the school’s policy on bullying and that you disapprove of what they are doing.
Step 4
Make a special effort to patrol the areas in your school where bullying is likely to occur. Involve other teachers and administrators in this endeavor if a routine duty assignment schedule is not already in place.
Step 5
Continue to listen carefully and document all incidents that you observe. Report your findings to an administrator or counselor. Be a loud voice against any bullying at your school.
Step 6
Put the school procedures into action when you speak to an administrator or counselor so that no time can be wasted in waiting for a response. Waiting for a response could allow the situation to escalate to more violence.
Step 7
Meet with the victim to discuss the incident and have that student write out a report of what happened. Just being able to talk about it with a concerned adult will help many victims.
Step 8Lend your support to the victim. If an incident of physical abuse has occurred, act at once. Make sure victims are aware that you are working on their behalf.
Step 9
Meet with the bully and have that student also talk about what happened. Be firm, but don’t lecture. Have that student also put the events of the incident in writing.
Step 10
Speak to the bully and his or her parents or guardians to let them know what you have witnessed or what has been reported. They should have a clear understanding that not only is the action not acceptable, but that there is a school policy against bullying and that the incident has been reported to an administrator.
Step 11
Involve both sets of parents or guardians. Either have them come to school for separate conferences or send them copies of the written statements made by both students. Parents or guardians can be valuable resources in stopping this problem.
To learn more about the problem of bullies and the best ways to help your students with the problem, go to this site: Stomp Out Bullying. You will find lots of useful information that you can use right away.
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is a relatively new harassment phenomenon that continues to spread as more and more students have access to social networking sites, cell phones, and other forms of electronic communication. Cyber bullying is just what its name implies—the harassment of one person by another through electronic means. For the classroom teacher, catching a cyber bully is a difficult task because our students’ school computer time, if used productively, is spent in academic pursuits.
Cyber bullying is often more insidious than other types because it does not occur in just one place. Victims are never free of the threat as long as they carry a cell phone, check email, or belong to social networking sites. Cyber bullies, too, are often more abusive and aggressive because they are not face to face with their victims. While the general advice about bullying offered above can make it easier for students to cope with physical and verbal abuse, it can also apply to cyber bullies.
While it is not our responsibility to police the way that our students use their personal electronic media to communicate with each other when not in class, teachers do have a privileged position in the lives of our students. We can offer aid and support when our students are the victims of cyber bullies. Here are the steps to follow with this kind of bullying.
Step 1
If a student confides to you that he or she is the victim of a cyber bully, the first step you should take is to take the student’s distress seriously. Talk with the student to learn the details of the harassment.
Step 2
Involve other professionals who can help your student at once. Contact your school’s technology support personnel and the administrator whose responsibility it is to cope with your school’s fair use of the Internet policy to enlist their assistance.
Step 3
At this point, other personnel should assume the primary role in helping your student with the issue. You should, however, continue to offer your support and encouragement to help the victim.
To learn more about what you can do to prevent and deal with digital harassment, there are several national organizations that can offer you and your students advice and support. One of the foremost of these organizations is Wired Kids. This group maintains an informative and helpful site at StopCyberBullying.org. Another group is the Cyber Bullying Research Center. Their site at CyberBullying.us offers constructive prevention and response tips for victims, parents, and educators.
click here for my source
Despite intensified attention by educators, the problem of bullying continues to worsen. How much worse is it now than in the past? Each month thousands of students report they have been attacked by a classmate at school. Many students report they have been afraid to attend school at least once because of the threat of violence by a classmate.
The suicide in January of fifteen-year old Phoebe Prince, a high school student in South Hadley, Massachusetts, has brought renewed attention to the issue. As prosecutors file criminal charges against nine students at South Hadley High School, school officials and teachers across the nation have been forced to reexamine their policies and procedures designed to prevent bullying and help its victims cope with the aftermath of abuse by their classmates.
As more and more violent scenes are played out in our daily lives—reported to us through our news programs, enacted in television shows and movies, and portrayed in popular songs—we have a generation of children who are less sensitive to violence than preceding ones.
The weapons that make bullying effective in humiliating students are threats and fear. The misery that bullying brings to a hapless student who may just be perceived as different from the others in the class, far outweighs the sense that this is a normal part of growing up.
The worst aspect of the problem of bullying, however, is that many teachers admit they are slow to react when they observe a student picking on a classmate. These teachers either react unsympathetically when a complaint about a bully is made or simply turn away when they hear or see this type of abuse.
This policy of neglect would not be so surprising if teachers also felt safe at school, but many of us do not. Many teachers report that they have been insulted, subjected to obscene gestures, or threatened by their students. It is up to educators everywhere to take a stand against abuse. At the least, every student deserves that from us—the adults who are supposed to create a safe haven in each classroom so that every child can learn.
The first thing we need to do to stop this serious threat is to make sure we understand exactly what bullying is. Bullying can take three forms: physical abuse, verbal abuse, or cyber bullying. When physical abuse is involved, teachers are more likely to react to stop it. It is so overt that we are forced to act. Verbal abuse is far more widespread and often more easily tolerated by teachers. Verbal abuse includes name-calling, teasing, racist remarks, rumors, and other insults or slurs. Finally, cyber bullying is a growing threat as more and more students use social networking sites to connect with their classmates.
There are eleven steps teachers can take in order to deal with the problem of bullying in general. These strategies are designed to be followed in sequence when you have to deal with an incident involving bullying in your class. Following these steps, you will find strategies for helping students who are victims of cyber bullying.
End bullying with these 11 Steps.....
Step 1
Make sure your school’s policy is clear and up-to-date on this issue. Every staff member should have a copy of the policy. Students should also be aware of the school’s policy and the consequences involved. If your school does not have a well-defined policy, it is important that you raise the issue with colleagues.
Step 2
A very positive step you can take with your students is to discuss the issue and allow them to talk about their fears and beliefs on the topic of bullying. They can work together to establish peer group support and to help each other see how wrong this type of abuse is. You do not have to give up hours of instructional time to accomplish this. Even a few minutes can start positive change in your school.
Step 3
Be alert for the early signs of bullying. Often teachers only see the tip of the iceberg because bullies prefer to target victims in unsupervised areas. If, for example, you notice that several students have targeted one of their classmates for disrespect or that a student is having trouble making adjustments to your class at the beginning of the term, be aware that more may be going on than you see. When students say they are “just joking,” don’t be naive. Speak privately to the offending students to make sure they know than what they are doing is in violation of the school’s policy on bullying and that you disapprove of what they are doing.
Step 4
Make a special effort to patrol the areas in your school where bullying is likely to occur. Involve other teachers and administrators in this endeavor if a routine duty assignment schedule is not already in place.
Step 5
Continue to listen carefully and document all incidents that you observe. Report your findings to an administrator or counselor. Be a loud voice against any bullying at your school.
Step 6
Put the school procedures into action when you speak to an administrator or counselor so that no time can be wasted in waiting for a response. Waiting for a response could allow the situation to escalate to more violence.
Step 7
Meet with the victim to discuss the incident and have that student write out a report of what happened. Just being able to talk about it with a concerned adult will help many victims.
Step 8Lend your support to the victim. If an incident of physical abuse has occurred, act at once. Make sure victims are aware that you are working on their behalf.
Step 9
Meet with the bully and have that student also talk about what happened. Be firm, but don’t lecture. Have that student also put the events of the incident in writing.
Step 10
Speak to the bully and his or her parents or guardians to let them know what you have witnessed or what has been reported. They should have a clear understanding that not only is the action not acceptable, but that there is a school policy against bullying and that the incident has been reported to an administrator.
Step 11
Involve both sets of parents or guardians. Either have them come to school for separate conferences or send them copies of the written statements made by both students. Parents or guardians can be valuable resources in stopping this problem.
To learn more about the problem of bullies and the best ways to help your students with the problem, go to this site: Stomp Out Bullying. You will find lots of useful information that you can use right away.
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is a relatively new harassment phenomenon that continues to spread as more and more students have access to social networking sites, cell phones, and other forms of electronic communication. Cyber bullying is just what its name implies—the harassment of one person by another through electronic means. For the classroom teacher, catching a cyber bully is a difficult task because our students’ school computer time, if used productively, is spent in academic pursuits.
Cyber bullying is often more insidious than other types because it does not occur in just one place. Victims are never free of the threat as long as they carry a cell phone, check email, or belong to social networking sites. Cyber bullies, too, are often more abusive and aggressive because they are not face to face with their victims. While the general advice about bullying offered above can make it easier for students to cope with physical and verbal abuse, it can also apply to cyber bullies.
While it is not our responsibility to police the way that our students use their personal electronic media to communicate with each other when not in class, teachers do have a privileged position in the lives of our students. We can offer aid and support when our students are the victims of cyber bullies. Here are the steps to follow with this kind of bullying.
Step 1
If a student confides to you that he or she is the victim of a cyber bully, the first step you should take is to take the student’s distress seriously. Talk with the student to learn the details of the harassment.
Step 2
Involve other professionals who can help your student at once. Contact your school’s technology support personnel and the administrator whose responsibility it is to cope with your school’s fair use of the Internet policy to enlist their assistance.
Step 3
At this point, other personnel should assume the primary role in helping your student with the issue. You should, however, continue to offer your support and encouragement to help the victim.
To learn more about what you can do to prevent and deal with digital harassment, there are several national organizations that can offer you and your students advice and support. One of the foremost of these organizations is Wired Kids. This group maintains an informative and helpful site at StopCyberBullying.org. Another group is the Cyber Bullying Research Center. Their site at CyberBullying.us offers constructive prevention and response tips for victims, parents, and educators.
click here for my source
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
speak out against bullying
I was unable to embed the video but please visit this link to see what Drew Brees had to say about bullying.
click here to see the video....
click here to see the video....
Monday, October 4, 2010
Has This School Found The Key To End Bullying?
I came across a great article about bullying. Please visit this link to see the amazing things this school is doing to prevent and discourage bullying.
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