School Climate Improvement:
Bullying Prevention Coalition
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Mission Statement and Webportal
The mission of the SchoolRisk Bullying Prevention Coalition is to increase understanding among members of the school risk management community about effective solutions and innovative approaches to prevent injury to students across the nation due to all types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Everyone is invited to preview a new webportal that brings together vital documents and links related to safe and welcoming schools, school climate improvement and bullying prevention. Click here. The Institute is grateful for these Initial sponsors of the Coalition Selective Insurance, Public SchoolWORKS, School Bus Safety Company and D&D Consulting. |
Who's Who in Bullying Prevention
" Who's Who in Bullying Prevention" is presented in a mind map format as a guide to key organizations in bullying prevention, including important contacts. This resource is intended to evolve and grow. Members of the coalition have access to the full guide that includes over 100 groups and individuals. For a sample version, click here. For more information, please contact BPC editor John Stovall at [email protected]
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Cyber-Safety Education Requirements Since the Children's Internet Protection Act was first passed in 2000, experts say that the focus in cyber-safety has shifted from "stranger danger" toward "embracing digital citizenship."
The Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act amendment to CIPA now requires schools to educate minors about appropriate online behavior on social media sites and cyber-bullying awareness and response. To retain E-Rate funding, districts must revise their policies to include this training by July 1, 2012.
Organizations including PublicSchoolWORKS and i-SAFE offer CIPA courses to help districts comply with E-Rate requirements. Read the FCC compliance guide and a CIPA Update Summary for more information on the revisions. |
Media and Music Helping Risk Managers
Film producers, researchers, musical entertainers and social media are making a difference in educating the nation about bullying. As a result of campaigns by Cartoon Network, MTV, and various social media, school administrators and risk managers can more easily gain support for assessments of district bullying prevention efforts and new initiatives. Here are some highlights of noteworthy developments:
Bully - The Movie is a documentary film that began showing in theaters March 30 and has sparked a social movement, The Bully Project. Controversy about the film's true-to-life content has created additional interest. The film documents campus life in an Iowa district, highlighting consequences of students being bullied and parents of bullying-related suicide victims. Click here to watch the promotion for the film.
Community Matters, a leading nonprofit that provides training for districts, issued a statement echoing the film producer's call to action. To read commentary by Rick Phillips, Executive Director, click here. Harvard University's Symposium on Youth Meanness and Cruelty in late February brought together prominent researchers from across the country and included the public launch of the Born This Way Foundation, created by Lady Gaga. The popular entertainer discussed the three pillars of her foundation, Safety, Skills and Opportunity, and declared that stopping youth cruelty is up to the students. Click here to view a video of the Harvard event. Facebook launched a suite of anti-bullying tools last year. This month they partnered with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to get immediate help to those expressing suicidal thoughts on Facebook.
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Policymakers and Judges Busy on Bullying
So far, 2012 has been an active year for more anti-bullying legislation. Districts face strict mandates on reporting and anti-bullying programs. It can be difficult to choose effective and cost-efficient solutions. In addition to new laws, numerous high-profile court cases have put pressure on districts to establish anti-bullying programs quickly.
President Obama recently endorsed two bills - the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act. These would expand nationwide bullying prevention efforts and outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in schools. To learn more, click here.
Bully Police reports on state anti-bullying laws and assigns a grade to each state's legislation, ranging from A++ down to F. They track new and pending state laws. Currently, 49 of 50 states have policies in place.
StopBullyingNow has identified 11 "key components" for anti-bullying laws. Click here to see how they might align with your district's policies.
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Cross Country Tour to Spotlight Good Work San Diego, CASBO Conference. This was first stop on the Bullying Prevention Coalition Tour, and the Institute's Executive Director took note of a nationwide student-led video contest, the NO BULL CHALLENGE - created to prevent cyber-bullying.
Another must see item for school risk leaders - an amazing five min video by high school students as part of the Lip Dub Project! Watch the Video
Philadelphia, RIMS Conference. The second stop on the Tour
provided an opportunity to hand out "STOP Bullying" wrist bands to attendees at the Risk & Insurance Management Society Annual Conference. These wrist bands were created by the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal. Learn more at http://nysir.org/nysir-in-your-neighborhood Upcoming Stops
June 1, "Safe & Welcoming School Conference," organized by the University of Georgia College of Education will feature presentations by prominent researchers and educators, led by Dr. Arthur Horne, Dean of the College. Click here for details and registration.
June 3-4, "The Art of Safe & Welcoming Schools Summit" is scheduled to take place in Nashville, TN, coinciding with the annual conferece of the Public Risk Management Association. The Institute is organizing this event. Please contact John Stovall at [email protected]
The Institute invites comments and notices of events and activities that may be of interest to school administrators and risk management professionals working in the public school arena.
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Initial Lead Sponsors |
By virtue of their general support for the Institute, we also recognize our corporate sponsors as supporters of the Coalition.
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