Introduction to One Million Safer Kids
What if any of us saw a child about to be harmed? We’d want to do something to help that child! Our challenge is to understand what to do and when to do it.
What if any of us saw a child about to be harmed? We’d want to do something to help that child! Our challenge is to understand what to do and when to do it.
Bullying is an ongoing emergency, and emergencies require urgent action. Each week, Kidpower will be featuring an Emergency Action you can take to help protect the young people in your life from bullying.
The next Bullying Emergency Action to take is to: KEEP YOUR RADAR ON!
It’s that time of year again! Regardless of what special holiday you and your family may celebrate, December is a time to appreciate for all that we are given and give thanks to those we are most thankful to have in our lives. And, of course, it’s important to remember to be thankful for another year of safety!
After being told by three teachers not to tattle, 10 year old Ashlynn Connor committed suicide because she felt miserable and hopeless about the bullying and incessant teasing that happened at her school. Let’s honor her memory – and the memory of all the young people who tragically decided to end their lives – by doing everything in our power to make sure that cruel behavior is stopped and that children have safe places to talk about their problems and get help.
Once again, the news is filled with the tragic story of a teen suicide from bullying – this time of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer who lost hope after being bullied repeatedly and took his life. How does something like this happen? And, what can we do to prevent another tragedy? Progress is being made, but the best anti-bullying laws, policies, and programs in the world won’t work if adults don’t notice and intervene in the moment when bullying occurs – and if kids don’t have skills for managing their emotional triggers, staying in charge of what they say and do, and being persistent in getting help.
Bullying as True Drama, a New York Times Op-Ed article by social science researchers Danah Boyd and Alice Marwik, describes what needs to change in order to make anti-bullying programs more effective in order to prevent tragedies like the suicide of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer.
Our amazing Teen Advisory Board from Kidpower of Colorado Springs has created a very moving, 5-minute video about bullying that is likely to break your heart and inspire you to action. Seeing the faces and hearing the voices of these exceptional young people stating what bullying is…
We are putting the final touches on our new e-book, Bullying – What Adults Need to Know and Do to Keep Kids Safe and it will be available next March.
Bullying can lead to great growth – as well as causing big problems. With clear boundaries, better skills, and strong support, everyone involved can learn what to do, as well as what to not do.