What you can do:
Start at home. Ask your kids about bullying. You may be surprised to learn about the name-calling and harrassment that your children witness on a regular basis. Find out how your children feel about bullying and take the opportunity to teach you values of respect and tolerance.Stop bullying when you see it.
Even small acts of teasing among very young children should be stopped right away. Adults who remain silent in the face of bullying are giving their permission for the behavior.Team up with your PTA
to make sure your school treats bullying as violence. Help them develop programs to prevent bullying and promote safe school environments.Learn more about bullying and effective ways to prevent it.
Publications
Coloroso, Barbara. The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: from preschool to high school - how parents and teachers can help break the cycle of violence. Harper Resource, 2003
Berkeley Unified School District. Student/Parent Handbook. (updated annually)
Web Sites
Bullying: What to do about it
http://www.nmha.org/pbedu/backtoschool/bullyingFactSheet2002.pdf
Gay-Straight Alliance Network
http://www.gsanetwork.org/index.html
Make it Real is a project that focuses
on training students to be activists, empowering them to take the lead
in implementing AB 537 (California Student Safety and Violence
Prevention
Act) which protects students from harassment and discrimination on the
basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity
http://www.gsanetwork.org/ab537/index.html
Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network
http://www.glsen.org/templates/index.html
Operation Respect: Don't Laugh at Me
http://www.dontlaugh.org/
Safe Schools and Violence Prevention -
California State Department of Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/safety/
Respect for All Project
http://www.womedia.org/new/training.html