Bullying Prevention - Student Advocacy
Our Bullying Prevention Program: Creating Safe Schools & Compassionate Youth
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The Foundation has launched an aggressive, national campaign to address school bullying as a serious and pervasive form of violence. To combat this issue, which affects 1 in 5 youth and tragically contributes to escalating student suicides, we utilize a unique, multi-level prevention and intervention program.
Our program is grounded in the latest research and is designed to equip students, parents, and educators with the tools needed to recognize, report, and refuse bullying.
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The Core: The 3 R's of Bullying Prevention
Our fundamental model provides actionable steps for prevention and intervention:
* Recognize: We teach students to identify all forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, emotional, and cyberbullying. You can't stop what you can't name.
* Report: Students are encouraged and empowered to immediately disclose any bullying incident to a trusted adult—a teacher, counselor, or parent.
* Refuse: We train students on how to actively and safely refuse to participate in bullying, whether they are being targeted or are witnessing it as a bystander.
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Program Components:
Intervention and Skills
Our program integrates progressive strategies delivered through in-person workshops, online courses, teacher training, and professional assemblies.
1. Progressive Intervention
We center our intervention around the "NO BLAME" approach, a progressive model from Europe. This strategy utilizes peer engagements to foster honest conflict resolution discussions and build relationships, addressing the issue from the perspective of both the student being bullied and the student doing the bullying.
2. Essential Skills Training
We provide specific training modules to build a culture of peace and support:
* Bystander Intervention: Training students on how to safely and effectively step in when they see bullying happen.
* Conflict Resolution: Teaching students peaceful and constructive ways to manage and resolve disputes.
* Positive Social Skills: Training focused on fundamental social skills like building friendships, communicating effectively, and managing emotions.
Unique Focus: Parent Engagement
We believe that "Creating a culture of peace and kindness in our schools begins at home."
A distinctive part of our program is our parent-specific focus groups and training.
These sessions help parents understand their profound influence on a child's social development, underscoring how they can shape their child's early behaviors and attitudes toward others.