WOW! Where did the summer go and why did it fly by so quickly? It seems more and more schools are going to some form of a modified schedule, resulting in earlier and earlier starts to the school year for our kids. Like many things in life, there is both good and bad associated with this change. For some children and adolescents, the start of school can trigger stressful reactions. This can be due to a variety of factors. There is one, however, that every parent dreads to think: the prospect that their child may be bullied! This prospect exists for all of our children and, despite our best protective efforts, it still may occur. We have all seen the headlines and upsetting stories elaborated below them. The fact is that in today's world, any child could encounter some form of bullying.

  

At CRG we have heard of this occurring on the bus, at recess, in the cafeteria line, in gym, on athletic teams, etc. As if that is not enough to stress us out as parents, we now have to contend with the prospect of social media being used against our children through Facebook, Twitter, group e-mails, etc. In the past, schools, parents and youth organizations have dealt with this problem through education, staff training, better staffing ratios, appropriate discipline, etc. Yet the problem still exists and some contend is growing or having a more severe impact. It seems puzzling that a heinous behavior that is almost universally disapproved of by responsible adults persists. Sadly, the CRG staff has dealt with bullying and its aftermath for as many years as we have been in existence. The incidence of bullying and the negative impacts from it are of significant concern with no decline in sight. We have provided services to many bullying victims over the years, and many perpetrators and their families. It has become clear that everyone involved in bullying loses, sometimes a great deal. Even if you are a bystander and not directly involved, the loss may be devastating in terms of no longer feeling safe, a loss of power/control, feeling victimized, plus harboring the guilt that may arise for not having done more to prevent the bullying from occurring. Parents can feel the full range of feelings, too, along with remorse over not having done more to prevent the occurrence. Teachers, adult caregivers, coaches, relatives, etc, have all grappled through 20/20 hindsight at what they might have done to prevent incidents of bullying.

 

What we have learned is that once bullying occurs, it has a significantly negative impact on multiple individuals both directly and indirectly. In order to properly address the problem of bullying, therefore, we need to get on the front end and work within our communities to prevent it. The best intervention programs and education are desperately needed but the real benefit is derived from PREVENTION. If we are to prevent bullying from occurring, we need to embark upon consistent implementation of best practices for creating a culture of caring, acceptance, and tolerance for all individuals regardless of beliefs, race, sexual preference, age, physical attributes, religion, education, or politics.

 

In order to support this community transformation, CRG has partnered with the Marion County Commission On Youth (MCCOY) to sponsor Bullying Symposium: Creating a Culture of Acceptance on November 3, 2012. This event, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center, will serve to educate and motivate community members through a wide range of speakers addressing multiple topics from cyber-bullying to being raised by same-sex parents. In order to captivate our audience, get them to emotionally relate to this issue, and motivate the members of our audience to take positive action, we have deliberately woven the arts throughout our symposium. This theme will culminate with an evening of youth performances focused on creating a culture of acceptance, caring and tolerance. We invite all of you to be a part of this and help us create an environment where every child feels safe to be themselves, express themselves, learn, grow and help their classmates and friends do the same. Click here for more information.

 

This special issue of CRG's Newsletter focuses on the theme of bullying and plans for the November symposium. Dr. Joshua Lowinsky, one of CRG's psychiatrists, has written a fascinating review of the research on links between bullying and mental health issues. Our MCCOY colleague, Mindi Goodpaster, provides very helpful context about her organization's experiences with such community-based events and how the bullying symposium can bring real and lasting change to our schools, homes, and even workplaces. Dr. Sandy Burkhardt, a highly experienced autism expert, university professor, and clinical psychologist, recently joined the CRG team. Read Dr. Burkhardt's informative article about how parents can help their children address bullying issues. CRG's practice administrator, Terri Graves, has written a superb book review of My Two Moms. Readers may recognize its author, Zach Wahls, from the YouTube video of his testimony before the Iowa state legislature. Zach provided compelling and thoughtful information about being raised by his biological mother and her life partner, another woman, and how this family structure led to his being bullied as a boy. Zach will be one of the keynote speakers at the November symposium. Get a sneak preview in Terri's book review. Finally, each of our newsletters introduces one CRG provider and one of our staff members. I know you'll enjoy "meeting" Jenny Levett, M.S., CRG's busy and well-respected speech and language pathologist. Finally, we know you'll enjoy learning more about Angie Kidd, who wears many hats at CRG including conducting intakes, coordinating forensics services, and finalizing assessment reports.

 

Thank you for reading,

 

 

 

Dennis Ray Kinder, Ph.D., HSPP

Psychologist & Founding Partner

 

Clinical Psychologist 

 

 

CRG Practice Administrator 

By David Parker, Ph.D.