It's more than a meme

 There's a common theme in the news about bullying today, that the nature and frequency of school bullying is far more prevalent now than in the past. This is, I think, largely true. However, there are also those that feel perhaps we're just more aware of the problem now, and that social media and the mainstream news coverage allows us to hear of many more incidents than was previously possible.

Ironsides: A Jomar Entertainment Group Film

Selected people in the anti-bullying movement have been asked to contribute some written work to the book version of  "Ironsides", a film that deals with bullying. The book will contain a section of real stories, including Steven's. The film and book will also be used for school appearances to educate both students and teachers. 

Teen Suicide - What are the real numbers?

A story from Russia this week reports that there were eight teen suicides within a week there. This got me thinking about the statistics of youth suicide and the difficulty in determining just how widespread the problem really is. This is very important if we are to respond effectively. Statistics on teen suicide are controversial and hard to pin down exactly, the "latest" numbers from various sources tend to be somewhat old.

A former NHL enforcer has a different message today

The Monteal Gazette reported that Chris 'Knuckles' Nilan, former NHL enforcer was at Edward Murphy School in Montreal on Friday to talk to the students about bullying. While we might think it's strange that the all time penalty minutes leader for the Canadiens would be speaking about bullying, according to Nilan, it's not a contradiction.

The 4th annual Pink Shirt Day Campaign

Today marks the launch of the 4th annual Pink Shirt Day Campaign, aka "Speak Out 4 Change", an annual event promoting awareness about bullying. The event was begun by Alix Vander Vlugt, founder of So What Speak Out, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about bullying. 

Yesterday's Huffington Post contained an interesting article on the current state of anti-bullying / teen suicide thought. Much of what the article contains is valuable information, but it also contains some sadly short sighted and, I believe,  irrelevant opinions.

Welcome to HNWS!

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 24, and bullying is a major contributing factor in many cases. The loss to society and pain caused to families and friends is enormous. We must change the attitudes towards violence in our culture to let children learn in a safe environment.We cannot allow the culture of bullying to continue. By working together to change attitudes and laws, we can create a society free from bullying. Parents, students and educators can make a difference. 

I've got a lot to say on the matter, and this is where I'll be saying it. From commentary on the latest news and anti-bullying legislation, to helpful resources and anti-bullying tips, you'll find it here.