The only way really to change a school culture to one that's respectful and safe is to get everybody involved, and everybody has to include students, of course, because it's their school, their workplace and they represent the vast majority of the people there. "So how do we involve them?" I asked Stan Davis of the Youth Voice Project on a panel I was moderating at the International Bullying … [Read more...] about Notes from a conference on bullying
bullying
Watching students relate to a president
In its coverage of President Obama's back-to-school speech this week, Youth Radio led with his point toward the end that gets to the core of defeating bullying and cyberbullying (among other social ills!): "If you take away one thing from my speech," the President told students at Masterman Lab School in Philadelphia, "I want you to take away the notion that life is precious, and part of what … [Read more...] about Watching students relate to a president
Youth online risk: Accurate reporting
It's always refreshing to see solid reporting where online kids and parenting are concerned! The main takeaway from this Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune article is that, yes, social media represent a new challenge for parents, but we can usually handle it just fine and here's how. It tells of how a local couple with six children of ages ranging from 6 to 19 – all but the youngest of whom "have a cell … [Read more...] about Youth online risk: Accurate reporting
What ‘justice’ means to Phoebe Prince’s dad
Emily Bazelon, whose in-depth series on what happened in and out of South Hadley High School leading to and since Phoebe Prince's recently appeared in Slate, talked with Phoebe's father, Jeremy Prince. He told Bazelon what Phoebe was like during the three weeks he spent with her over the holidays, that she didn't seem suicidal, wasn't told to be on medication, talked with him a lot. But the one … [Read more...] about What ‘justice’ means to Phoebe Prince’s dad
Signs that your child’s cyberbullying
"Not my child," many parents would say. Of course "no parent wants to admit their kid is a bully," educator and child development expert Annie Fox writes. But if you have even an inkling your child might be cyberbullying others, you have an opportunity not only to lessen other children's emotional pain and improve social conditions at school but also to help your child offload anti-social behavior … [Read more...] about Signs that your child’s cyberbullying