Bullying and Violence Need to be Expelled from SchoolSep 22 2009by Rick Phillips, Executive DirectorThe school year has just begun and already we’re seeing the headlines of school violence: the beating of a teenage boy on a school bus in Illinois, the shooting of a student outside of a school in Antioch, California; and a 13 year old committing suicide because she was bullied. Youth violence has become commonplace. Children who are the targets of bullies are victims, but the children who are not directly targeted are also victims. They see and hear what’s going on around them and they are afraid for themselves, and too afraid to speak up and intervene. Worse, some of them join in the bullying so they don’t get singled out and become the targets. The video of the Illinois bus incident September 16th is painful to watch not only because of the physical beating of a teenage boy, but because of the cheering of the bystanders. News reports that one bystander finally had the courage to stand up stop the beating by saying, “That’s enough!” is the only saving grace of this story. And that has to change. Working with young people for more than 10 years has shown us that mobilizing bystanders and awakening the courage of youth to speak up for each other is the most effective way to break the “code of silence” and stop the epidemic bullying and violence. Having students and school staff identify the non-traditional student “leaders” who have the respect and credibility among their cliques is a critical step. Identifying the perceived leaders of the “skaters”, the “Goths”, the “jocks”, and the ethnic groups is an effective way getting clique leaders to use their status and position to influence and change the bystander culture. These “alpha” students have the “status” and credibility of their peers, but lack the skills and the support of adults to feel empowered enough to intervene when bullying incidents occur. We are at the nexus of crisis and opportunity in this battle against school violence. Bullying is not spectator sport. It is time for “all hands on deck”, and adults need to understand that young people are powerful resources waiting to be called into service. It’s our job to engage them, equip them, and empower them to be peacemakers. From coast to coast, Safe School Ambassadors are provided the tools to use non-violent communication skills to intervene. In Santa Rosa, California, a student reported to a trusted adult that a weapon had been brought on campus. In a boys’ bathroom, an Ambassador had the courage to intervene when bullies called another boy “a faggot”. Every day our children are seeing, experiencing, or hearing about incidents of violence of bullying. Every day, they have to decide whether to be silent, to take defensive action, or express their courage by intervening. As adults, educators, as parents and citizens we give them the tools, support and opportunities to take right action. We send them to driving school to learn to navigate the highways safely; shouldn’t we be giving them the lessons and tools they need to navigate the daily altercations they experience among their peers? I hear from adults and school administrators that in this tough economy, they don’t have the time or the resources to do anything different about this problem. Some dismiss the fact that bullying is part of growing up and kids will “get over it” or outgrow the trauma caused by being a victim. Do we really believe our children are expendable? Do we want to read more headlines about children literally being bullied to death? Our children deserve better. A Call To ActionIt’s time to “seize the day”. What are you doing in your school and community to address the crisis we are in? I want to know. Let me hear from you. 
Recent PostsRick Phillips Speaks On Bullying at the Clinton School of Public ServiceThe Clinton School of Public Service invited Rick Phillips, Executive Director of Community Matters as one of their Distinguished Speakers for their series of public lectures in Little Rock, Arkansas. Safe School Ambassadors school nationally recognized for its tolerance effortsMesa Linda Middle School in Victorville, CA was recognized as a “Mix It Up” Model School by the Teaching Tolerance Project. Straight Talk TNT - Teens ‘n Twenties Publishes Article Praising Safe School Ambassadors ProgramLauren Forcella, founder and editor of the website Straight Talk TNT: Teens ‘n Twenties, has written and published an article on her site praising the effectiveness of the Safe School Ambassadors program. Rick Phillips - Keynote Speaker at the National School Board Association ConferenceRick Phillips presented a two-hour keynote at the National School Board Association’s 71st Annual Conference on Saturday, April 8, held at the San Francisco Moscone Convention Center. SSA program Evaluation Report shows positive resultsA multi-year evaluation of the Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program has been completed, with some very exciting and gratifying results. |