50 Cent to Release Young Adult Book About Bullying

Having trouble viewing this email? Please click here Forward to a Friend Unsubscribe To ensure delivery, please add mike@balanceeducation.net to your address book. www.BalanceEducationalServices.com The Leader in Bullying Prevention 50 Cent to Release Young Adult Book About Bullying Rapper 50 Cent says he sometimes bullied others while growing up and now wants to use his influence on teenagers to get them thinking about the issue. By Molly Driscoll The Christian Science Monitor Rapper Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, is adding author to his long list of job titles with a new book about bullying. The book, titled “Playground,” is a young adult novel published by Razorbill that will be released on Nov. 1. The novel, illustrated by Lizzie Akana, tells the story of Butterball, a 13-year-old living on Long Island who bullies a fellow student named Maurice. In an interview on “The Today Show” on NBC, the rapper said he drew inspiration from his own school days because he sometimes took the role of bully in the hallways. “I had more experiences where I was a part of the problem, where I was actually bullying,” Jackson said on the show. "To know now from an adult's perspective and be able to write things, I can look back on those actual situations and say, 'That was completely wrong.' ” Jackson said the issue is close to him personally because of his son, who is 15 years old. Jackson said he is in a better position than most to speak to young adults and hopes that his influence will help the message get across. “A lot of the times the kids that would actually be a part of the problem are listening [to my music],” he said. “When I offer it, they'll take the time to stop and read it." Islamophobic Bullying in Our Schools By Engy Abdelkader The Huffington Post "You boys were so much fun on the 8th grade trip! Thanks for not bombing anything while we were there!" read the yearbook inscription penned by the middle school teacher. The eighth grade yearbook was littered with similar remarks by classmates linking Omar to a "bomb." "To my bomb man!" read one note. "Come wire my bomb," read another. "What is this?" asked Omar's mother incredulously. He had handed the yearbook over to her moments earlier when he arrived home that afternoon. Omar answered quietly, "I know, Mom, I know." He stared down at the kitchen floor. His eyes could not meet his mother's but he began to tell her what had happened just one month earlier. In May 2009, Omar joined his classmates on a school trip to Washington, D.C. As they toured the Washington Monument, visited area museums and passed by the White House, the kids repeatedly told Omar they hoped he wouldn't "bomb" any of the sites. A teacher chaperoned the children, heard the comments and responded by doing... well, nothing, except leave a denigrating remark in Omar's yearbook a month later. It was clear to Omar's mother that her American born and raised son was harassed because of his Muslim faith and Arab ancestry. Unfortunately, this was not the first bias-based bullying incident involving Omar that school year. Only several months earlier a peer was intimidating Omar, calling him a "terrorist," during an elective trade course. Omar finally told his mother about the bullying when his report card indicated that he was failing that same class, while acing the others where he was not subjected to such humiliating treatment. More... Days of Bullying as Rite of Passage Are Gone, Officials Says By Elaine Sanchez American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2011 – After years of being bullied in school and online, 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer was reaching his breaking point. The openly gay teenager talked about his experiences in a video he posted on YouTube last spring. “They’d taunt me in the hallways, and I felt like I could never escape it,” the Buffalo, N.Y., native said. “People would just constantly send me hate.” Afraid of what lay ahead for him in high school, Rodemeyer committed suicide last month. In the past, bullying was deemed a rite of passage, but that’s not the case any more, a Defense Department official said. “Children can have terrible consequences from being bullied, whether it’s poor academic success, loneliness, not being able to make friends or just feeling like they can’t go to school,” said Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon’s office of family policy, children and youth. “They get sick. Eventually, the greatest tragedy would be suicide.” Surveys indicate that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. And children from military families are comparable to their civilian counterparts in this regard, Thompson said, noting they may be even more vulnerable due to frequent military moves. “As they relocate from school to school, they are the new kids on the block and may be perceived as being different,” she explained. Children with deployed parents also may stand out as they deal with the anxiety and loss associated with separation from a loved one, she added, particularly when other children from their school don’t share those same experiences. More... Live Bullying Prevention Audio Conference November 02, 2011--1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT www.lorman.com/ID388618 AGENDA Effect of Bullying on Academic Achievement and Functional Performance • Defining Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Social Aggression and Other Acts of Misconduct • Common Traits of Bullies, Targets and the Crowd • Consequences to Address Bullying Developing a School-Wide Same Page Mentality to Stop Bullying • Staff Responsibility • Four-Step Response to Bullying • Teasing vs. Taunting Strategies to Stop Cyber Bullying and Social Aggression • The Overlap Between Cyber Bullying and Social Aggression • Chart Activity • Replacing Negative Behavior With Empathy, Friendship And Respect Schedule Student, Staff and Parent Bullying Prevention Workshops for Your School Call 802-362-5448 Mike's book, How to Stop Bullying and Social Aggression, has been recognized as a practical resource to teach and reinforce character development and pro-social behavior. $33.95 (includes S/H) Lessons and Activities That Teach Empathy, Friendship and Respect Fax POs to 1-802-549-5024 Balance Educational Services 136 Clover Lane Manchester Center, Vt 05255 Click Here to Purchase Mike Dreiblatt is recognized as an outstanding national speaker and author. Using humor and practical strategies, Mike provides dynamic seminars and workshops for staff, students and parents. A former teacher, Mike is an expert in bullying and violence prevention, character education, and discipline of students with special needs. Email Mike directly at Mike@BalanceEducationalServices.com

TweenParent.com: Is Your Tween Being Bullied or Harassed?

TweenParent.com: Is Your Tween Being Bullied or Harassed?

When parents should butt into kid's battles

Another kid is bullying your child on the playground.

Should you butt in? Not immediately, unless your child's safety is at stake. "If you're there, watch closely and give your child a chance to solve the problem on her own," says DeBroff.
The same goes for school: It's better first to equip your child with skills to stay safe and empower her to resolve the situation on her own. Realism: Good old-fashioned playtime
How to handle it: Rehearse ways for your child to respond. For example, if your child has a sense of humor, she can use a retort like "No, I'm not a baby, but thanks for asking," spoken in an assertive tone of voice. Otherwise, she can employ a strong "Cut it out" before walking away.
"Have her practice standing up straight, chest out, like she's wearing a bulletproof vest that taunts bounce right off of," says Borba.
When to reconsider: If the bullying persists and your child feels threatened, get involved. If you are the one intervening on the playground, nonchalantly pull your child out of the situation (snack time!) before discussing it. Talking to her in front of the bully could be more embarrassing.
If the bullying is at school, ask a teacher to keep an eye out. Most schools take bullying seriously -- 39 states have laws addressing it -- so teachers should have practices in place. To learn more, check out StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov, which has suggestions for both parents and kids.

“Operation Columbine”

Jurors in Hillsborough, North Carolina will resume deliberations Friday morning in the murder and assault trial of Alvaro Castillo. Castillo, now 21, is charged with shooting his father, Rafael, 65, several times in the head then driving to his former high school and opening fire on students, injuring two.
On Thursday, the jury of six men and six women heard more than four hours of closing arguments from the attorneys. At the end of the day, jurors deliberated for half an hour before being sent home. The jury foreperson is a man who used to work in a state crime lab.
Closing arguments focused on Castillo’s state of mind on August 30, 2006, the day of the shootings. Castillo, then 18, was mentally ill and had been treated for depression since a suicide attempt four months earlier. He admits that he committed the acts he’s charged with but says he should not be held criminally responsible. At trial, critical evidence introduced by the prosecution included eight hours of videos he recorded between April and August 2006 and his diary from 2006, all of which gave mental health professionals unique insight into Castillo’s thought processes and mental disorders.

Missouri woman charged in cyber-bully case

A Missouri woman is accused of cyber-bullying for allegedly posting photos and personal information of a teenage girl on the "casual encounters" section of Craigslist after an Internet argument.Prosecutors said Elizabeth A. Thrasher put the 17-year-old's picture, e-mail address and cellphone number on the website in a posting that suggested the girl was seeking a sexual encounter.St. Charles County police said the victim was the daughter of Thrasher's ex-husband's girlfriend. The girl received lewd messages and photographs from men she didn't know and contacted police.

Standing Up to a Bully

If your child is verbally bullied, teach him or her how to respond effectively. Discuss the following strategies with your child. Practicing the strategies with you or another trusted adult will help develop the confidence to end the bullying. If the bullying is happening at school, speak to your child's classroom teacher or advisor so they can help.

Ignore the Bully
Teach your child to ignore the bully. Your child should not make faces, cry, sigh, or make any gesture signaling distress. Often, when bullies don't get a reaction, they stop.

Walk Away
Your child can choose to walk away in a confident manner - head up, back straight and with a normal walking pace. Your child needs to be aware of being followed and walk to a safer place, usually near adults. If the bully says mean things, continue to ignore and walk away.

Tell the Bully to "Stop"

Keeping a distance of 1½ to 2 arm lengths, have your child say, "Stop!" or, "Cut it out!" Teach your child to:
Make eye contact.
Express confident body language; head up, back straight, arms down in front or on the side of the body and feet at shoulder width. No fidgeting!
Speak clearly - a steady tone, not too loud, too soft, whiny or sarcastic.
Make short statements such as, "Stop!" or "Cut it out!"
Then turn and walk away.

Go to a Trusted Adult

When other strategies fail, or there is immediate danger, tell your child to go to a trusted adult. This is not tattling; this is requesting assistance with a serious problem.

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How to respond if you're in a cyber-fight

Email or IM the following:

"I really don't want to talk about this online."
"I think it's easier to talk about this over the phone or in person."
"Can I call you right now? (or, "Can we talk tomorrow at school at [suggested time]?").
If the other person continues the fight, log off.
What to do if you are being cyber-bullied
People who cyber bully do so because it makes them feel powerful. Anything you can do to give the impression that you are not bothered will make it less satisfying for the cyber-bully. For example:
Turn off your computer or cell phone -- Being ignored gets boring for the bully.

Block mean messages -- 71% of teens think that blocking abusive messages is the most effeective way to prevent cyber-bullying. ISPs, email programs and social network programs have information about blocking messages.

Don't respond or cyber-bully back -- You don't have to be a doormat, but don't be provoked into retaliating because that is exactly what the bully wants. Don't play their game!

Talk to an adult you trust -- Let them know what you need them to do (and not do) to put a stop to the bullying. It's also a good idea to try and tell the people that you live with. Being bullied can cause changes in your behavior that will worry them. If they know what's going on, they'll be more understanding.

Print it out or save it -- If you're receiving bullying messages of any kind, print them out or save them. You, and the adults in your life, may want the evidence if you ever decide to take action against a cyber-bully.

Address your feelings -- Being bullied can feel really bad. Talk to a friend or trusted adult, write out your feelings in a journal, express your feelings through art, music or creative writing.

Participate in activities that you are good at and make you feel good -- Being bullied is upsetting. Being involved in activities you enjoy can help cancel out the way the cyber-bully makes you feel.

Post how you respond to a cyber-fight.

Remember to go to www.BalanceEducationalSevices.com for more bullying prevention ideas.