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Winning Student Essays on Bullying
From The New York Times:
My Thursday column is about the winners in my essay contest about bullying, but the column is too short to publish more than excerpts there. So here are the full versions of the winning essays.
But first, a thanks to my partners in this effort. Teen Ink, a magazine for teenage writing, was hugely helpful in sifting through all 1,200 submissions and narrowing them to 59 finalists for me to go through along with my assistant, Natalie Kitroeff. Stephanie and John Meyer of Teen Ink offered important suggestions for how to run the contest and a digest of important themes that resonated through the many submissions. Some writing about bullying can also be seen on Teen Ink's website and here at The New York Times Learning Network, as well as on Harvard Education School's Ed. magazine.
Read the winning essays in The New York Times...
Bully, the Documentary: Painful film is a must-see for teachers and students alike
From the Harvard Education Letter:
Schools and bullies are so closely linked that even young kids who feel threatened know to avoid unsupervised areas: school yards, locker rooms, stairwells, cafeterias, the school bus. The only problem is, of course, they can't.
Now comes a documentary that will make even the most complacent adult feel the terror that school bullies can inspire. Bully, which opened nationally April 13, offers a hard look at the kind of violent and emotional abuse many children face daily when they leave for school in the morning.
Read the full article in The Harvard Education Letter...
Schools, parents try to keep pace with cyber-bullying tactics
From the Baltimore Sun:
Katie Anger, a bright-eyed redhead from West Friendship, opened the door for cyber-bullying as a middle-schooler, when she installed the "Honesty Box" app on her Facebook page.
Some teens used the now-defunct Facebook feature to criticize her anonymously, tell her that no one liked her and say things they would never have said to her face.
Read the full article in The Baltimore Sun...
Thousands of LAUSD students gather to discuss bullying
From The Los Angeles Times:
Roosevelt High School student Jerry Gallegos knows the pain of being bullied — he said he was taunted as a "fatty" for years. Yet, when he saw others being harassed, he stood by silently, afraid others would turn on him.
Now, Jerry said, he is determined to act against bullies and reach out to vulnerable students.
Read the full article in The Los Angeles Times...
CA bill would punish those who bully online
From the Silicon Valley Mercury-News:
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—State lawmakers trying to keep up with evolving trends in online bullying passed a bill Monday that would give schools broader authority to punish students who harass their classmates on social networking sites.
AB1732 would allow schools to suspend or expel students who create online profiles impersonating classmates or set up "burn pages" filled with material intended to harm others. The bill passed the Assembly 58-0 and moves to the Senate.
Read the full article in the Silicon Valley Mercury-News...
On Bullying: Resources and Questions for Writing or Discussion
From The New York Times:
Op-Ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof has just announced an essay contest on bullying in collaboration with our blog, and with the national magazine Teen Ink. Here are the details:
Earlier this year, I reported on Lady Gaga's campaign against bullying and learned that increasingly the Department of Education sees bullying as a serious problem. So I'd like to consult the real experts — American teenagers — by holding an essay contest for students ages 14 through 19. Please help spread the word by encouraging young people to apply by writing an essay of up to 500 words about bullying, being bullied, witnessing bullying or ideas about how to address this issue.
Read the full article in The New York Times...
School District Told to Replace Web Filter Blocking Pro-Gay Sites
From The New York Times:
CAMDENTON, Mo. — Students using the computers at Camdenton High School here in central Missouri have been able to access the Web sites for Exodus International, as well as People Can Change, antigay organizations that counsel men and women on how to become heterosexual.
But the students have not been able to access the Web sites of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
Read the full article in The New York Times...