Obamas to Host Conference on Bullying Prevention (936 hits)
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will bring together Americans from across the country affected by bullying. On Thursday, the Obamas will welcome students, parents and teachers to the White House for a conference on bullying prevention. The day-long event will also include officials from the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the White House, the conference will bring together Americans from across the country who have been affected by bullying, as well as those who are taking action to address the problem.
Last fall, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden taped video messages for the "It Gets Better" campaign and discussed the need to dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage. “This is personal to me,” Obama said. “When I was a young adult, I faced the jokes and taunting that too many of our youth face today, and I considered suicide as a way out. But I was fortunate. One of my co-workers recognized that I was hurting, and I soon confided in her. She cared enough to push me to seek help. She saved my life. I will always be grateful for her compassion and support – the same compassion and support that so many kids need today.”
The president and first lady appear in a new Facebook video to push their campaign to end bullying in the nation's schools. WhiteHouse.gov/live will also have live video Thursday, including online chats where parents and students can discuss bullying with experts on the subject. Several national studies that examined bullying among African-American students in inner-city schools concluded that victims of bullying reported severe levels of depression. The researchers noted the need for “culturally sensitive, age-appropriate and multi-faceted programs that recognize the link between exposure to violence and depressive symptoms.”
Exposure to violence and symptoms of depression have been linked to serious problems in school – absences, poor grades and dropping out – that have serious negative implications during adolescence and on into adulthood, researchers said. School districts, colleges and universities across the country have been warned that not properly addressing bullying and harassment against students, including incidents spurred by anti-gay sentiment or religious differences, could violate federal civil rights laws.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights issued a letter to educators to acknowledge the seriousness of bullying in schools. The department was responding to what it senses is a growing problem: The Office for Civil Rights received 800 complaints alleging bullying and harassment last year. Assistant Secretary Russlynn Ali, in her 10-page letter, wrote: "Some student misconduct that falls under a school's anti-bullying policy may also trigger responsibilities under one or more of the federal anti-discrimination laws enforced by the Department's Office of Civil Rights."
Ali said harassing can take many forms, including verbal acts and name-calling; graphic and written statements, which may include use of cell phones or the Internet, or other conduct that may be physically threatening, harmful or humiliating. “Harassment does not have to include intent to harm, be directed at a specific target, or involve repeated incidents,” Ali wrote. “Harassment creates a hostile environment when the conduct is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit a student’s ...
