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Last year (2011),
your support helped over 7,000 people.
Thank you.
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On My Mind
Dom's Wanderings
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Every community has had at least one shocking incident that came as a result of bullying. And, every school kid can tell you, if they'll talk about it, who's getting bullied, by whom, and why. Some kids have bullseyes on their backs for years; for some, it's like a severe thunderstorm that blows over quickly. But bullying is always painful and leaves scars. Prevention in Our Own Programs Recently a half dozen of our youth development and mediation program directors and managers met to talk about how we prevent bullying in our programs. This time staff talked about their own children, too, which lent a special richness to the conversation. You'll see many of the things we talked about in the bullets on the right. How NYCID Can Help When I reviewed this issue in draft, I realized that you may not be aware of the services NYCID provides that you can use to build a family, a neighborhood, a school or a program that can develop an immunity to bullying. Here's a sampling: Conflict Resolution: Community mediation and Teen/Parent mediation services.
There is no charge for these services. Training: Peer Mediation Program Trainings and Staff Development for Schools and Youth-Serving Organizations Anger management, bullying, and communication workshops for schools and youth-serving organizations Mediation and conflict resolution training for communities and professionals Click on the links to learn more or give me a call if you'd like to explore how we can help you prevent bullying. Enjoy February,
Dominick J. Brancato Executive Director P.S. On Feb. 2, Juvenile Justice's Suicide Prevention Resource Center is hosting a free webinar: Bullying and Suicide Prevention. |
 Feb. 13 - 17, 2012 The NYC Department of Education's "Respect for All" initiative combats bullying and harassment based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other characteristics. Congratulations to the Staten Island School of Civic Leadership which was highlighted by the NYCDOE for their activities during last year's Respect for All Week - check it out here. Reinforce the message of Respect for All by asking your children and grandchildren about how they commemorated Respect for All Week. Click here for more information regarding Respect For All Week 2012. |
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Chamber Honors Brancato
NYCID's executive director, Dominick Brancato, has been selected by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award. The awards honors Staten Island business owners and not-for-profit executives for going above and beyond the call of duty in the community.
Congratulations, Dom!
Read the profile that recently appeared in the Staten Island Advance here.
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A Benefit Concert
To Support
NYCID's Work with Disconnected Youth
Featured Bands:
The Budos Band
The Headlocks
Tali
Fri., March 23, 2012
7 p.m.
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Your contributions help adolescents and young adults
stay in school,
earn degrees and become successful
employees.
Thank you.
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Exchange Online - January 2012
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Greetings!
Earlier this month, Miss New York, Kaitlin Monte, told the Daily News about being targeted by bullies for years: "They targeted me for everything from my physical appearance, to my grades, to my behavior in class." Monte says, "No one is immune to this issue. Nobody is safe." Bullying requires a power imbalance and an appreciative audience cheering the bully on. Both are hard to reverse. The best and most effective way to handle bullying is PREVENTION - joining together to educate ourselves and our children, to create a community with low tolerance for bullying and high support for healthy activities, conflict resolution. As a local principal said recently, "the more we talk about it, the less bullying goes on." We've put together some things we think everyone needs to know and talk about to prevent bullying. We hope you'll find it helpful.
-- The editor
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What You Need to Know About Bullying
Everyone needs to know that:
- Bullying is a power issue. It's about preying on the weak and on those who may be "different."
- Bullying has moved out of the school yard and onto the internet and mobile phone. Cyber bullying is the fastest growing method students use to bully others.
- It takes a village - children need to understand behavioral expectations and that everyone is watching - parents, teachers, neighbors, church members, coaches, troop leaders, etc. - and will speak up when their behavior is inappropriate.
- Kids fall into three roles - the bully, the victim and the witness. The presence of witnesses who do not speak up against bullying provides an audience that encourages the bully.
- Speaking up against a specific bullying incident or pattern takes courage and can result in repercussions for the victim or witness. To keep them safe, protect the students' anonymity.
Parents should know that:
- Just as you teach a child personal hygiene, ethics and good behavior, you need to teach them that bullying is wrong and that witnessing a bully calls for action. What action? At a minimum, tell an adult.
- There are warning signs that may indicate your child is being bullied, or may be bullying others. Become familiar with them. You can find warning signs here.
- Have regular conversations about all of those topics that are uncomfortable for both you and your child - bullying, drugs, sex, for example. Acknowledge that these are difficult conversations for both of you, but that you are going to have them anyway.
- You are your child's advocate. If you suspect or know your child is being bullied, your job includes engaging school staff and others to help support your child through this bad time. Visit the school frequently. Get to know teachers and other staff before problems occur.
- Monitor and supervise your
 child's online and cell phone activities; set boundaries and let them know you are monitoring them. It's the best way to know that they are neither bullying or being bullied, sexting, sharing passwords, or compromising their privacy, safety and security.
Here are some links about how to monitor: Kids need to know that:
- No one deserves to be bullied. It is harmful and can have long-lasting repercussions.
- It's difficult to deal with bullying by yourself. Ask for help from your friends, parent, and/or an adult you trust or know has been assigned to deal with bullying.
- Doing nothing says you think it's okay to bully another person. Take a stand against bullying.
- If someone gets upset with your behavior toward others, even if you think you're just being funny, you may be bullying. Stop, reflect, talk about it with someone you trust.
Additional links for kids:Administrators, Teachers and Other Youth Workers should know that:
- Early and immediate intervention to resolve conflicts will minimize bullying and support victims. Find tips here.
- Dealing with bullying is a team effort. Learn all you can about bullying research and recommended interventions.
- There needs to be a designated leader who serves as a resource for staff and students and keeps track of incidents. Kids should know who that person is and that their anonymity will be protected.
- Your attention needs to extend beyond the schoolhouse or program doors to include the school neighborhood, internet and texting.
For a cyberbullying toolkit for educators, visit commonsense media. |
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Register Now for Divorce Mediation Training!
 You can still register to attend our comprehensive 40-Hour Divorce Mediation Training (being held on Feb. 22, 23, 24, 27 & 28) designed to cover basic theory and skills of divorce mediation including divorce law, financial aspects of divorce, parenting issues and family dynamics.
There are still slots open for this highly regarded training taught by Adam Berner and Sequoia Stalder in Manhattan. You do not need to be a trained mediator or an attorney to attend.
Here's what a previous participant had to say: "I would highly recommend this training for any attorney ~ whether you are interested in mediation or not. For the practitioner ~ either as mediator or advocate ~ this training is indispensable." This training is approved under Part 146 by the NYS Unified Court System's Office of ADR Programs. Participants may receive 41 CLE Hours. For more information or to register, click here.
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| News in Brief
Show Your Support for Mediation!  Join us and other Community Dispute Resolution Centers in asking the New York State Unified Court System to restore funding for mediation in the upcoming budget.
Please review and sign the electronic postcard to the Hon. Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York.
##### Welcome A-Board!
We're happy to announce that local business owner John M. Mancuso recently joined our board. If you attended our Annual Benefit this past June, you may have enjoyed some of his delicious food - he's the Executive Chef/Owner of Silvestro's Gourmet Deli & Caterers in Westerleigh.
For more information about John and other changes to our board, read the article that appeared in the Staten Island Advance here.
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Job Openings:
We're looking for an Advocate Counselor at Olympus Academy in Brooklyn and an Academic Counselor for our GPS Program at Port Richmond H.S. Read more about these and other NYCID job openings here.
As Dominick says, "Good people find good people," so please pass these openings along to others.
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Think NYCID Summer Camp!
If you want your kids to spend the day in a safe and nurturing summer program, reserve a spot at the NYCID summer camp at the Staten Island School of Civic Leadership -- a state-of-the-art, air-conditioned facility in Graniteville.
This unique summer camp -- now in its third year --  incorporates programming built on The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Stephen Covey's son Sean.
View photos from last year's summer camp here.
For more information, contact Robert Busan at (718) 374-1658.
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Want to Help?
We'd love to have you volunteer with us. NYCID's Benefit Committee is getting organized for our Annual Benefit in June.
This is our major fundraiser and you can help solicit auction items, sell journal ads, organize the event, or help with a myriad of other details.
For more information, to donate an item or to volunteer, contact Amy Lavelle, Development Associate, at (718) 947-4121.
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