“Sharp Drop” In Bullying: Some Good News . . and So Much More To DoMar 11 2010by Rick Phillips, M.Ed., Executive DirectorThe recent study – “Trends in Childhood Violence and Abuse Exposure,” dated March 2, 2010, declared a decline in reported bullying. The study found that the percentage of children who reported being physically bullied over the past year had declined significantly. The lead author, Professor David Finkelhor, PhD, reported being “very encouraged” by the results. As an educator whose “day job” is working with schools nationwide to equip and empower students to speak up about and stop bullying, I’m sure I speak for many of us who are pleased to know there has been progress in addressing the costly, and sometimes deadly, public health issue of bullying. However, the conclusions from this study do not represent a complete picture. In reviewing the discipline data reported from many schools throughout the nation and speaking with building administrators, I can assure you that our nation’s children are still being mistreated, and in ways that are sometimes more hurtful and dangerous than physical bullying and intimidation. Electronic aggression through cyberbullying, relational aggression – sometimes referred to as “mean girls” syndrome – rumors and gossip, and the deliberate exclusion experienced by many children continue to plague our schools. Many times, these incidents “fly under the radar” of adults, unseen and unheard. These hurtful acts do massive harm to the psyches of far too many young people. Bullying and violence affect every community’s educational mission and goals. They contribute to our dropout rates, cost school districts millions of dollars, and limit our children’s academic, civic and character development. We must remain vigilant in our understanding that the only way to reduce bullying significantly in all its forms is for schools to commit to changing the culture and climate of their schools. This requires investing in staff development and student bystanders’ education, establishing a fair and consistently-applied behavioral framework, utilizing curricula that include social and emotional education, and engaging parents and community more effectively in these efforts. If every community champions culture and climate change approaches in our schools, I believe we can have more studies that show the outcomes we all want to have: schools where all students achieve and thrive, where they report feeling safe, connected and valued.
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. |