STOP THE BUS! Bullying of Older Bus Monitor Shows What Needs To Change

by | Jun 30, 2012

Watching the video of school bus monitor Karen Klein being cruelly bullied by four boys makes me want to stand up and shout, ‘STOP THE BUS!’ Parents and teachers need to teach kids how to recognize destructive behavior, resist peer pressure, speak up when they see someone acting unsafely, and get help. School staff, including bus monitors and playground supervisors, need training and support to stop kids from engaging in bullying of anyone in the moment.

When Disaster Strikes: Finding Our Balance in the Face of Fear

by | Jun 27, 2012

Disasters like the fires now raging in Colorado remind us that we are vulnerable, that the physical security of ourselves and those we care about is not guaranteed, and that our world can change in an instant. As adults, our challenge when a disaster threatens or strikes is to keep finding our balance. In this uncertain world, the truest safety we have is the safety we create within ourselves. If we express calm and determination as we take charge of safety in the midst of uncertainty, our children will follow our lead.

“Bully”: Can Watching This Powerful Movie Make a Difference?

by | May 22, 2012

Bullying Prevention Expert and Kidpower Leader, Irene van der Zande, reviews the “Bully” movie with an eye toward what to do after you watch the documentary – because just watching is not enough to make a lasting difference for kids and families struggling with severe bullying, even in schools and communities where “anti-bullying” policies have been adopted.

Watching “Bully”: Why I Wouldn’t Be a Good Film Maker

by | May 21, 2012

Bullying Prevention Expert and Kidpower Leader, Irene van der Zande, reviews the “Bully” movie with an eye toward what to do after you watch the documentary – because just watching is not enough to make a lasting difference for kids and families struggling with severe bullying, even in schools and communities where “anti-bullying” policies have been adopted.

TSA Screening – Kidpower recommendations to ensure transportation safety while avoiding trauma

by | Apr 26, 2012

The story about the four-year-old girl being yelled at and chased by TSA officials is outrageous. Let’s make airport screening a fun experience instead of a traumatic one. Here are some recommendations from Kidpower about how parents flying with kids can prepare their children and how the TSA can take care of kids emotionally without sacrificing security.

Dateline NBC: Well-Meaning But Destructive Practice of Tricking Kids with Tests About Strangers, Safety, and Ethics

by | Apr 15, 2012

Dateline NBC series about testing children’s abilities to follow their parents’ instructions to make safe and ethical choices has the potential to be emotionally damaging to kids without making anyone safer. I believe that it undermines trust for children to be tested in such a sneaky way. Children need to believe that their adults are allies who are helping them to be successful, not testing them, letting them fail publicly – and then agreeing to have them publicly humiliated by broadcasting the results on TV. Anyone who has seen one of our Kidpower workshops would agree that watching young people being coached to be successful in taking charge of their safety is educational, empowering, entertaining, and would make GREAT television!

Sierra LaMar Still Missing – Safety Checklist For Kids On Their Way To School

by | Mar 30, 2012

Download a free one-page Kidpower Safety For Kids On The Way To School Checklist about how to prepare kids and assess to ensure they are ready to make safe choices and get help while on their way to and from school, or anywhere else that they are allowed to go on their own. We don’t know what happened to Sierra LaMar, a 15-year-old, who disappeared March 16 and is still missing, but it’s hard not to fear the worst and to WISH that she had known these skills to stay safe.