Parenting Bully-Proof Kids Book
« Previous EntriesStopping School Bullies Requires More than Laws, Policies
Monday, March 8th, 2010State laws and school policies are necessary, but they’re not enough to stop school bullies. The third necessary ingredient is the responsible people who are paid to make schools safe. If teachers, psychologists and counselors, assistant principals, principals, district administrators and school board members don’t create effective school programs and don’t enforce the laws and […]
Stop Bullying: Bystanders/Witnesses’ Moments of Choice
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010There are moments of choice in all our lives when we are called upon to stand up for our best dreams and aspirations. Sometimes we recognize and seize these opportunities, sometimes we ignore these moments and sometimes we don’t ever hear their call to our spirits. Each of these moments and our responses create long-lasting […]
Sexting Suicide: Vicious Boys, Mean Girls and Self-Bullying
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009Andrew Meacham in the Tampa Bay Times article, “Sexting-related bullying cited in Hillsborough teen’s suicide,” reports on the suicide of Hope Witsell. Witsell’s death follows the sexting-triggered suicide of Jessica Logan who was taunted, harassed, bullied and abused for similar reasons.
Of course, ultimately the choice was Hope Witsell’s, but the principals and district administrators at […]
Stop a 4-Year Old Bully
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009A New York Times blog post by Lisa Belkin, “A Bully at Age 4?” raises the question, “How young is too young to be a bully?”
A comment from a parent described a big 4-year old child hitting other 4-year old kids at school, not allowing other kids to play if he didn’t feel like it, […]
Effective Laws can Stop Cyber Bullying, Harassment and Abuse
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009Missouri has responded effectively to cyber bullying via web sites and text messaging; has your state?
After the Lori Drew case in Missouri, in which a MySpace account was used to bully 13-year old Megan Meier, who committed suicide, Missouri legislators passed laws criminalizing cyber-bullying, harassment and abuse, and schools created zero-tolerance policies. School authorities and […]
If Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus can be bullied, how can your daughter stop school bullies?
Sunday, October 11th, 2009As reported in the Huffington Post, to focus attention on National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, Disney star Demi Lovato has gone public. She was bullied so much in school that she and her parents chose to do home schooling rather than face the bullies at school. Her story follows Miley Cyrus telling of being bullied, […]
How to Raise a Bullying Teenager: Don’t Stop Their Temper Tantrums
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009The Wall Street Journal had a story on “The rich rolling in armored splendor in Brazil.” The part I want to emphasize was about a 19 year-old girl who insisted that she have a pink VW Beetle armored. She wouldn’t settle for another color or another car, like an Audi. Her father said, that safety […]
Stop Cyber Bullies: Vague Cyber bullying Laws Aren’t Effective
Sunday, September 13th, 2009According to an editorial in the New York Times, “Vague Cyberbullying Law,” “Lori Drew acted grotesquely if, as prosecutors charged, she went online and bullied her daughter’s classmate, a 13-year-old girl who ended up committing suicide. A federal court was right, however, to throw out her misdemeanor convictions recently. The crimes she was found guilty […]
Stop School Bullies: The Number One Risk Factor is Well-Meaning Parents
Monday, August 24th, 2009Current statistics show that bullying is prevalent – over 50% of kids report being bullied or observing bullying. Bullying by girls is just as prevalent as by boys (although they often use different tactics) and bullying in “good” neighborhoods is just as prevalent as in “bad” ones.
Most parents want to understand why bullies bully, “Is […]
Appeasement Won’t Stop Real-World Bullies
Friday, August 14th, 2009Some people believe fervently, passionately and whole-heartedly that if you love bullies, if you give them what they want, if you’re kind enough, then you’ll melt their hearts, they’ll come to their senses and they’ll stop bullying. Sometimes, rarely, that does work.
But the wisdom of both history and the world’s great literature tells you that […]