I was pleased to see a solid turnout at Dr. Englander's anti-bullying presentation Thursday evening. As expected, she shared her knowledge of student violence and aggression trends with wit and wisdom. While acknowledging that schools have a clear mandate to proactively alert students to the implications of bullying as well as to the disciplinary consequences of such aggressive actions, she also articulated that parent involvement and awareness is key to developing a culture in which bullying is not tolerated. A partnership between home and school is critical to success. As a community we must strive to develop a culture of tolerance and respect that nurtures the development of socially responsible youth.
What follows are some recommendations for parents from Dr. Englander:
- Continue to make yourself aware of Massachusetts’ Anti-bullying law and attend school anti-bullying workshops
- Monitor your son/daughter’s online activities via the internet or Smartphones
- Cell phones themselves are not a significant problem it is texting and internet access. Consider holding off on allowing text/internet access until students are in high school
- Communicate with your child’s school if you have concerns about bullying/cyberbullying
- At home teach and reinforce the key concept that information on the internet is not private it is permanent and public. Remind them
- Even “private” info can be seen by others
- What you put online is there forever
- Less is more! Think before you send or post
As part of our bullying intervention plan, we are incorporating the MARC Elementary and Middle School lessons into our Health & Wellness curriculum - Click here to see the overview!
