ReportWire

Tag: Bullying

  • 75 Anti-Bullying Quotes for a Positive Classroom

    75 Anti-Bullying Quotes for a Positive Classroom

    [ad_1]

    Bullying creates a toxic environment, impacting not just the victims but the entire classroom dynamic. We’ve all experienced how even the smallest incidents can create tension and unease among students. As teachers, it’s our responsibility to foster an environment where every child feels respected, supported, and safe. By weaving these anti-bullying quotes into your daily routine, you can ignite meaningful conversations and reinforce the importance of respect and kindness in your classroom

    Jump to:

    How To Use Anti-Bullying Quotes in the Classroom

    List of Anti-Bullying Quotes

    How To Use Anti-Bullying Quotes in the Classroom

    Anti-bullying quotes encourage empathy, critical thinking, and self-reflection among students. Here are some ways you can use anti-bullying quotes in your learning space.

    Morning Meetings

    There’s nothing better than beginning the day with a good morning quote. Use an anti-bullying quote in a morning meeting to get students thinking. Discuss what the quote means and how it applies to everyday life. Throughout the week, give students a chance to talk about their own experiences and thoughts related to the quote.

    Classroom Displays

    Post anti-bullying posters on classroom walls to promote kindness and understanding. Extend this by displaying quotes around the school to create a positive and supportive community. This constant visual reminder helps reinforce a message of compassion and respect.

    Writing Prompts

    Use quotes as prompts for journal entries. Ask students to write about what the quote means to them, how they can apply it in their lives, and any experiences they’ve had related to the quote. This exercise helps them reflect on and internalize the message.

    Art Projects

    Have students create posters featuring their favorite anti-bullying quotes. This fun quote activity reinforces the message and allows students to express the quote’s meaning through their artwork. Displaying the posters around the school can further spread the message of inclusivity and respect.

    Role-Playing Scenarios

    Set up role-playing activities where students act out situations inspired by anti-bullying quotes. This hands-on, dramatic approach helps kids grasp the message and practice how to handle bullying situations in a safe, controlled setting.

    Group Discussions

    Each week, have a different student choose an anti-bullying quote for the class to discuss. This promotes a sense of community and lets students share their perspectives. By guiding the discussion with questions, you can deepen their understanding of kindness and anti-bullying principles.

    Lesson Connections

    Integrating anti-bullying quotes into various subjects is a powerful way to reinforce the message of kindness across the curriculum. Whether in a history lesson, science project, or language activity, using relevant quotes can show students that empathy and respect are important in every context. This approach helps students connect the value of kindness to different areas of their learning, strengthening its significance throughout their education.

    With these ideas, you can enhance your classroom’s atmosphere and encourage kindness and empathy using anti-bullying quotes. 

    The following quotes will inspire your students and help build a more supportive and caring environment.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes

    Also explore these inspirational quotes that encourage kindness, empathy, and strength, helping kids understand the importance of treating others with respect and compassion. 

    Thought-Provoking Anti-Bullying Quotes

    No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. —Eleanor Roosevelt

    Use this quote to discuss self-esteem and the power of personal perspective.

    What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again. —Anne Frank

    What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again. —Anne Frank- anti-bullying quotes

    Reflect on past actions and use this quote to teach children about learning from mistakes and making better choices in the future.

    The only way to have a friend is to be one. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    The only way to have a friend is to be one. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Discussing this quote can help elementary-age kids understand the importance of friendship and mutual respect, highlighting how being a good friend is super important.

    Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. —Ian MacLaren

    Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. —Ian MacLaren- anti-bullying quotes

    Speak to students about how this quote encourages empathy and understanding of others’ struggles.

    If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. —Robin Jones Gunn

    If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. —Robin Jones Gunn

    Explain that teamwork and collaboration help us achieve long-term goals and build strong, supportive relationships.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes To Build Empathy and Kindness 

    No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. —Aesop

    No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. —Aesop- anti-bullying quotes

    Share this quote to emphasize that every small act of kindness can make a difference.

    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead

    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead

    Let kids know that their actions and ideas, no matter how small, can make a big difference in the world with this anti-bullying quote.

    You can always—always—give something, even if it’s a simple act of kindness! —Anne Frank

    You can always—always—give something, even if it's a simple act of kindness! —Anne Frank

    This quote reminds us that kindness is something everyone can offer, no matter how small the act. To bring this idea to life, have students make a list of easy ways they can show kindness to others.

    Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. —Mother Teresa

    Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. —Mother Teresa- anti-bullying quotes

    Use this quote to encourage students to spread joy and positivity. Ask them to think about someone who has made them feel special and how they can be that kind of person for others.

    Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are. —Harold S. Kushner

    Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are. —Harold S. Kushner

    Discuss this quote with students to emphasize the importance of unconditional kindness and selflessness.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes on Bravery and Inner Strength

    I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. —Nelson Mandela

    I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. —Nelson Mandela- anti-bullying quotes

    Ask kids to think of a time when they faced their fears and embraced bravery. Remind them that courage means overcoming challenges, not being fearless.

    The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. —Franklin D. Roosevelt

    The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. —Franklin D. Roosevelt

    See if students can decipher what this quote really means, and encourage them to face their fears and not let fear control them.

    Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest. —Mark Twain

    Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest. —Mark Twain

    Use this quote to empower students to stand up for what is right, even when it’s hard.

    No legacy is so rich as honesty. —William Shakespeare

    No legacy is so rich as honesty. —William Shakespeare- anti-bullying quotes

    This quote highlights how honesty is a fundamental and lasting quality that enriches a person’s character and relationships. Dig into what honesty means and how students can use it as a guide in their lives.

    Stand up for what is right, regardless of who is committing the wrong. —Suzy Kassem

    Stand up for what is right, regardless of who is committing the wrong. —Suzy Kassem

    Encourage students to recognize and stand up against bullying with this powerful quote.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes on Respect and Tolerance 

    Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love. —Miguel Ángel Ruiz

    Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love. —Miguel Ángel Ruiz- anti-bullying quotes

    Discuss the meaning of respect and how this quote illustrates how showing respect is a form of caring for others.

    If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you. —Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you. —Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    Help kids understand that self-respect is key to earning the respect of others and building strong relationships. Ask them to think about the ways they already show respect for themselves and explore areas where they could improve.

    I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university. —Albert Einstein

    I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university. —Albert Einstein- anti-bullying quotes

    This quote is great for highlighting the importance of treating everyone with equal respect and kindness, regardless of their status or job.

    We must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools. —Martin Luther King Jr.

    We must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools. —Martin Luther King Jr.

    Pull this quote out when you want to emphasize the importance of cooperation and understanding in building strong, supportive communities.

    I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. —Jackie Robinson

    I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. —Jackie Robinson- anti-bullying quotes

    Introduce this quote to help children understand that respect is fundamental and should be given to everyone, regardless of personal feelings.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes on Strengthening Self-Worth

    Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do. —Benjamin Spock

    Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do. —Benjamin Spock

    Inspire children to have confidence in their abilities and trust their instincts, especially in challenging situations or when dealing with peer pressure.

    To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Reinforce the importance of staying true to yourself, despite outside pressures, as a vital part of personal growth and self-confidence.

    If you can dream it, you can do it. Your limits are all within yourself. —Brian Tracy

    If you can dream it, you can do it. Your limits are all within yourself. —Brian Tracy- anti-bullying quotes

    Share this quote to reassure students of their inner resources and resilience.

    Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. —A.A. Milne

    Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. —A.A. Milne

    Use this quote to boost students’ confidence and self-belief.

    Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. —Judy Garland

    Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. —Judy Garland- anti-bullying quotes

    Encourage children to embrace their unique qualities and strive to be their best selves, rather than trying to emulate others.

    Quotes To Teach Acceptance and Inclusivity

    Whatever anyone else thinks about me is none of my business. —Michael J. Fox

    Whatever anyone else thinks about me is none of my business. —Michael J. Fox

    Let this quote guide a conversation about how students need to value their journey and remember that others’ opinions are not their concerns.

    Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got. —Art Buchwald

    Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got. —Art Buchwald- anti-bullying quotes

    Use this quote to remind children to make the most of every moment, appreciating both the highs and lows as part of this unique experience we call life.

    We take care of the future best by taking care of the present now. —Jon Kabat-Zinn

    We take care of the future best by taking care of the present now. —Jon Kabat-Zinn

    This quote can help students understand that making thoughtful choices today can create a better future for themselves and others.

    Belonging is not fitting in … belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable, and imperfect. —Brené Brown

    Belonging is not fitting in ... belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you're enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable, and imperfect. —Brené Brown- anti-bullying quotes

    Show kids that feeling like they belong starts with accepting who they are and being true to themselves, which helps them connect genuinely with others.

    When you live in complete acceptance of what is, that is the end of all drama in your life. —Eckhart Tolle

    When you live in complete acceptance of what is, that is the end of all drama in your life. —Eckhart Tolle

    Share this quote with kids to help them understand that accepting things as they are can lead to a calmer, more peaceful life without unnecessary drama.

    Quotes for Taking a Stand Against Bullying

    The time is always right to do what’s right. —Martin Luther King Jr.

    The time is always right to do what's right. —Martin Luther King Jr.- anti-bullying quotes

    This quote lets kids know there is never a wrong time to make a good choice and do what’s right. Remind them that they can always talk to an adult for guidance.

    Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right. —Theodore Roosevelt

    Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right. —Theodore Roosevelt

    Explain to kids that just knowing what’s right is great, but they need to put that knowledge into action by making the right choices.

    Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world … would do this, it would change the earth. —William Faulkner

    Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world ... would do this, it would change the earth. —William Faulkner- anti-bullying quotes

    Discuss this quote to encourage kids to speak up when they see something wrong, reminding them that their voices can make a difference in creating a fair and just world.

    When you’re nice, you’re not bullying people. But when you’re kind, you stand up against the bully. —Daniel Lubetzky

    When you’re nice, you’re not bullying people. But when you’re kind, you stand up against the bully. —Daniel Lubetzky

    Use this quote to help students understand the difference between being nice and being kind. Encourage them to stand up against bullying by showing kindness and supporting their peers. 

    It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph. —Edmund Burke

    It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph. —Edmund Burke- anti-bullying quotes

    This quote emphasizes the importance of taking action against bullying and supporting those who are being bullied.

    Quotes To Help Bullies Reflect and Change

    People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou

    People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou

    Open the eyes of students who are bullies to realize that while their words and actions may be forgotten, the impact they have on others’ feelings can be lasting.

    In a gentle way you can shake the world. —Mahatma Gandhi

    In a gentle way you can shake the world. —Mahatma Gandhi

    Use this quote to help bullies realize that by changing their behavior and choosing kindness, they have the power to make a significant, positive difference in the world.

    When you have the choice between being right and being kind, just choose kind. —Wayne Dyer

    When you have the choice between being right and being kind, just choose kind. —Wayne Dyer- anti-bullying quotes

    Show bullies that opting for kindness instead of insisting on being right can foster a happier and more supportive environment for everyone.

    I came to accept that I have no right whatsoever to judge others in terms of my own customs, however much I may be proud of such customs. —Nelson Mandela

    I came to accept that I have no right whatsoever to judge others in terms of my own customs, however much I may be proud of such customs. —Nelson Mandela

    Guide students to see that they shouldn’t judge others by their own standards, but should instead respect and appreciate the differences in everyone’s experiences.

    Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke. —Benjamin Disraeli

    Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke. —Benjamin Disraeli- anti-bullying quotes

    Explain to students that being truly courageous means being kind and respectful, while bullying is just a negative way to avoid showing real strength and emotion.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes for the Bullied 

    Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy! —Anne Frank

    Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy! —Anne Frank

    Remind students to focus on the good things around them, helping them find happiness even during challenging times.

    Bullies are cowards, and if you stand up to them, they back away. —Robert P. George

    Bullies are cowards, and if you stand up to them, they back away. —Robert P. George

    Explain to students that finding their voice and standing up to bullies shows courage. This bravery can make the bully back off and help them realize that they have the power to stop the bullying.

    Each time you send love in response to hate, you diffuse the hate. —Wayne Dyer

    Each time you send love in response to hate, you diffuse the hate. —Wayne Dyer- anti-bullying quotes

    Teach students to respond to bullies with kindness, and that their positive actions can make all that negativity go away.

    The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. —Martin Luther King Jr.

    The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. —Martin Luther King Jr.

    Encourage students to stand up for themselves and others with this quote, emphasizing the importance of speaking up about what matters. Remind them that it’s OK to ask for help and that seeking support is a sign of strength, not something to be embarrassed about.

    Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact. —William James

    Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact. —William James

    Reassure bullied students that their lives are valuable and that believing in themselves can help them overcome hard times and be treated with respect.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes for Positive Action and Change

    The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. —Alan Watts

    The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. —Alan Watts

    Encourage students to approach change with an open mind and understand that being actively involved can lead to positive results. Ask them to create a list of specific actions they plan to take this year to make a meaningful difference.

    To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be. —Golda Meir

    To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don't be. —Golda Meir- anti-bullying quotes

    Help kids understand that they need to fully commit to being their true selves, rather than trying to fit in or please others.

    The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. —Mark Twain

    The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. —Mark Twain

    Teach students that using laughter can help ease conflicts and even build friendships, making it an effective way to prevent bullying and create a supportive environment.

    You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. —Dr. Seuss

    You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. —Dr. Seuss- anti-bullying quotes

    Let students know that they have the power to make their own choices and decide how they want to act. They can choose to stand up against bullying and help create a positive and supportive environment for everyone.

    We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. —Howard Zinn

    We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. —Howard Zinn

    Talk with students about how small, thoughtful actions—like helping a classmate or sharing ideas—can lead to significant changes both in the classroom and in the world. Invite them to share a time when someone’s small act of kindness made a big impact on them.

    Quotes for Fostering Empathy and Understanding

    If you judge people, you have no time to love them. —Mother Teresa

    If you judge people, you have no time to love them. —Mother Teresa

    Teach students that focusing on understanding others, rather than judging them, helps us show more love and kindness.

    Good people will do good things, lots of them, because they are good people. They will do bad things because they are human. —Harold Kushner

    Good people will do good things, lots of them, because they are good people. They will do bad things because they are human. —Harold Kushner- anti-bullying quotes

    Remind students that everyone, even good people, makes mistakes, and showing empathy helps us support one another through those times. This is a good time to teach what it means to be empathetic.

    To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. —David Viscott

    To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. —David Viscott

    This quote highlights that being kind to others and receiving kindness back makes everyone feel valued and happy.

    The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by lifting others. —Robert G. Ingersoll

    The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by lifting others. —Robert G. Ingersoll

    Help students understand that being a leader means supporting and uplifting others and showing empathy and perspective in our actions.

    You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. —Harper Lee

    You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. —Harper Lee

    Ask students to think about a time when they disagreed with someone and ask how they might feel if they were in the other person’s situation. This helps them understand different perspectives and respond with empathy and kindness.

    Quotes Highlighting the Importance of Being a Supportive Friend

    A friend: one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. —Walter Winchell

    A friend: one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. —Walter Winchell- anti-bullying quotes

    Use this quote to remind students that true friends stand by and provide support, especially when things get tough and others might not be there.

    Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. —Jane Goodall

    Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. —Jane Goodall

    Remind students that their actions are meaningful and can positively affect others.

    My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. —Aristotle

    My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. —Aristotle- anti-bullying quotes

    Have students talk about what they believe makes a true friend, and how they have been or can be a true friend. 

    Fate chooses our relatives, we choose our friends. —Jacques Delille

    Fate chooses our relatives, we choose our friends. —Jacques Delille

    Explain to students that while we can’t choose our family, we have the power to pick friends who support and stand by us, especially during tough times like bullying. Remind them that a true friend genuinely wants the best for us and supports us out of real care and concern.

    Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit. —Aristotle

    Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit. —Aristotle- anti-bullying quotes

    Help students understand that while expressing a desire to be friends is easy, nurturing a true, supportive friendship takes time and consistent effort.

    Anti-Bullying Quotes for Building Resilience and Facing Challenges

    You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. —Maya Angelou

    You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. —Maya Angelou- anti-bullying quotes

    Use this quote to teach students that facing challenges and setbacks can help them discover their inner strength and resilience, showing that even when things are tough, they can rise above and grow stronger.

    In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. —Albert Einstein

    In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. —Albert Einstein

    Encourage students to understand that challenges, such as dealing with bullying, can also bring opportunities for personal growth and discovering their own resilience.

    He says the best way out is always through. And I can agree to that, or in so far as that I can see no way out but through. —Robert Frost

    He says the best way out is always through. And I can agree to that, or in so far as that I can see no way out but through. —Robert Frost- anti-bullying quotes

    Explain to students that confronting challenges head-on is often the only way to move past them and find a resolution.

    It is what it is. But you have the power to turn it into an isn’t so bad. —Karen Salmansohn

    It is what it is. But you have the power to turn it into an isn't so bad. —Karen Salmansohn

    Although bullying is a difficult experience, let students know they can transform it into something less overwhelming by taking control and focusing on positive changes.

    Experience is a good school. But the fees are high. —Heinrich Heine

    Experience is a good school. But the fees are high. —Heinrich Heine- anti-bullying quotes

    Use this quote to help students understand that while learning from experience is valuable, it often comes with challenges and costs. Encourage them to reflect on a lesson they’ve learned the hard way and what it taught them.

    Quotes on Communication and Conflict Resolution for Students

    The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said. —Peter Drucker

    The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said. —Peter Drucker

    Teach students that to resolve conflicts and handle bullying effectively, they need to pay attention to both spoken words and non-verbal signals, such as body language and tone, to fully understand what others are feeling and needing.

    A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something. —Wilson Mizner

    A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something. —Wilson Mizner- anti-bullying quotes

    Remind students that by being good listeners, they can better understand others’ feelings and viewpoints, which helps them resolve conflicts and handle bullying situations more effectively.

    When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. —Dale Carnegie

    When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. —Dale Carnegie

    To handle conflicts well, children need to understand and address people’s emotions, not just the logical reasons behind what they are doing.

    Conflict cannot survive without your participation. —Wayne Dyer

    Conflict cannot survive without your participation. —Wayne Dyer- anti-bullying quotes

    This quote lets kids know they can prevent conflicts like bullying by choosing not to take part in or escalate them, and by standing up and promoting respectful communication instead.

    Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. —Carl Jung

    Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. —Carl Jung

    By using this quote, you can help students see that when they feel irritated by someone, it’s an opportunity to reflect on their own feelings and reactions, which can lead to a better understanding of others and themselves.

    Quotes on the Power of Kindness 

    Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you. —Diana, Princess of Wales

    Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you. —Diana, Princess of Wales- anti-bullying quotes

    Encourage students to be kind to others without expecting anything back, and remind them that kindness can lead to positive changes for themselves in the future.

    A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves. —Amelia Earhart

    A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves. —Amelia Earhart

    Kindness is contagious! Challenge students to spread some kindness. Remind them that their kind actions can inspire others, creating a wave of positivity and a ripple effect that makes a difference for everyone.

    Give yourself entirely to those around you. Be generous with your blessings. A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. —Steve Maraboli

    Give yourself entirely to those around you. Be generous with your blessings. A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. —Steve Maraboli- anti-bullying quotes

    Encourage students to be kind and generous, as small acts of compassion can help heal and make tough situations better.

    The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey. —Sarah Fielding

    The words of kindness are more healing to a drooping heart than balm or honey. —Sarah Fielding

    This quote brings home the point that kind words can have a powerful, comforting effect on someone who is feeling hurt or down.

    Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away. —Arthur Helps

    Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away. —Arthur Helps- anti-bullying quotes

    Show students how offering a kind word can make a big difference, even if it seems small, as it always has a positive impact.

    Adding anti-bullying quotes to your classroom routine can help build a kinder, more understanding school environment. They help kids understand how their words and actions affect others, motivating them to stand up against bullying and foster a supportive environment. These quotes can also guide students who need to change their behavior, making them more aware of their impact on others and encouraging empathy. 

    If you like these anti-bullying quotes, check out this list of Teacher Appreciation Quotes.

    What are your favorite anti-bullying quotes? Share them in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

    [ad_2]

    Donna Paul, BPHE, Montessori Elementary Education Diploma

    Source link

  • US Open: Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia and other tennis players say cyberbullying is still a problem

    US Open: Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia and other tennis players say cyberbullying is still a problem

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — Caroline Garcia, a U.S. Open semifinalist two years ago, drew attention Wednesday to the ever-present problem of cyberbullying in tennis, particularly by people who bet on matches, after her first-round loss at the Grand Slam tournament.

    Other players echoed Garcia’s lament, including defending champion Coco Gauff, who said: “You could be having a good day, and then somebody will literally tell you, ‘Oh, go kill yourself.’ You’re, like, ‘OK, thanks.’”

    Garcia, a 30-year-old from France who has been ranked as high as No. 4, was seeded 28th at Flushing Meadows but was eliminated by Renata Zarazúa 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday. Zarazúa is ranked 92nd and is making her U.S. Open debut.

    “Maybe you can think that it doesn’t hurt us. But it does. We are humans,” Garcia wrote on social media. “And sometimes, when we receive (these) messages, we are already emotionally destroyed after a tough loss. And they can be damaging. Many before me have raised the subject. And still, no progress has been made.”

    Garcia offered examples of “just a few” of the hundreds of messages she said she was sent after losing recent matches, including one telling her she should consider suicide and another that read, “I hope your mom dies soon.”

    “At the end of the day, I’m just a normal girl working really hard and trying my best, I have tools and have done work to protect myself from this hate. But still, this is not OK,” Garcia wrote. “It really worries me when I think about younger players coming up, that have to go through this. People that still haven’t yet developed fully as a human and that really might be affected by this hate.”

    As other players have mentioned in the past, she talked about the issue of being attacked verbally by gamblers upset about losing money.

    “Tournaments and the sport keeps partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting,” Garcia said. “The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people.”

    This sort of harassment via social media is nothing new, of course, and it’s not new to tennis.

    “You hear a lot of nasty things, and people talk about your appearance, your family’s appearance, and all these things,” Gauff said. “If you are already struggling with your own mental issues and, on top of that, you have people digging deeper, it is tough.”

    As Frances Tiafoe, a semifinalist in New York in 2022, said: “People are saying outlandish … stuff. It’s just wild.”

    “I try not to look at the comments,” 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu said, mentioning that she will ask her PR person to scroll through and let her know when there are positive ones. “Because there’s always going to be a negative comment and I’ve learned that the hard way.”

    Players have called it out in the past, and Grand Slam tournaments have been trying to help prevent messages from reaching the athletes.

    The French Open partnered in 2022 with a company that uses artificial intelligence to filter players’ social media accounts, and the groups that run the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the women’s tour and the lower-level ITF Tour announced in December they were starting a service to monitor for “abusive and threatening content” on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.

    “Many before me have raised the subject,” Garcia said. “And still, no progress has been made. Social media platforms don’t prevent it, despite AI being in a very advanced position.”

    She closed her message by addressing anyone reading it, suggesting that “next time you see a post from an athlete, singer or any other person, that has failed or lost, you will remember that she or he is also a human being, trying his best in life. Be kind. Give love. Enjoy life.”

    ___

    AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Australian Olympic chief condemns ‘bullying’ online petition attacking Raygun’s breaking credentials

    Australian Olympic chief condemns ‘bullying’ online petition attacking Raygun’s breaking credentials

    [ad_1]

    The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has condemned an anonymous online petition concerning Rachael Gunn – the viral breaker known as Raygun – saying it contains falsehoods about how she was selected to compete at the Paris Games.Gunn, a 36-year-old university lecturer from Sydney, failed to register a point in her battles against USA’s Logistx, France’s Syssy and Lithuania’s Nicka, losing 18-0 on each occasion. Meanwhile, her performance ignited widespread social media commentary and critique.In a statement on Thursday, the AOC’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll criticized the “vexatious, misleading and bullying” petition that “contains numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic Team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.”The petition, published on Sunday and addressed to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the AOC, was posted to Change.org. It alleges – without evidence – that Gunn “manipulated” the selection process, “raising serious questions about the fairness and integrity of the process.”It also alleges that Gunn’s husband could have been part of the selection panel and calls for Gunn and Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Anna Meares to apologize for “misleading the Australian public and attempting to gaslight the public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes.”Gunn said in an Instagram video that she didn’t realize her performance would “open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.”She added: “I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives – that’s what I hoped.”Carroll said the AOC has written to Change.org demanding that the petition be immediately withdrawn.”The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares,” said Carroll. “The Australian Team Chef de Mission played no role in the qualification events nor the nomination of athletes to the AOC Selection Committee, of which the Chef and I are members.”It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory,” his statement added.”The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It’s appalling. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time.”CNN has contacted Change.org for further comment.Gunn added in her Instagram video statement: “I’d really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community.”Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy.”

    The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has condemned an anonymous online petition concerning Rachael Gunn – the viral breaker known as Raygun – saying it contains falsehoods about how she was selected to compete at the Paris Games.

    Gunn, a 36-year-old university lecturer from Sydney, failed to register a point in her battles against USA’s Logistx, France’s Syssy and Lithuania’s Nicka, losing 18-0 on each occasion. Meanwhile, her performance ignited widespread social media commentary and critique.

    In a statement on Thursday, the AOC’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll criticized the “vexatious, misleading and bullying” petition that “contains numerous falsehoods designed to engender hatred against an athlete who was selected in the Australian Olympic Team through a transparent and independent qualification event and nomination process.”

    The petition, published on Sunday and addressed to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the AOC, was posted to Change.org. It alleges – without evidence – that Gunn “manipulated” the selection process, “raising serious questions about the fairness and integrity of the process.”

    It also alleges that Gunn’s husband could have been part of the selection panel and calls for Gunn and Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Anna Meares to apologize for “misleading the Australian public and attempting to gaslight the public and undermining the efforts of genuine athletes.”

    Gunn said in an Instagram video that she didn’t realize her performance would “open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating.”

    She added: “I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives – that’s what I hoped.”

    Carroll said the AOC has written to Change.org demanding that the petition be immediately withdrawn.

    “The AOC is particularly offended by the affront to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares,” said Carroll. “The Australian Team Chef de Mission played no role in the qualification events nor the nomination of athletes to the AOC Selection Committee, of which the Chef and I are members.

    “It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory,” his statement added.

    “The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It’s appalling. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time.”

    CNN has contacted Change.org for further comment.

    Gunn added in her Instagram video statement: “I’d really like to ask the press to please stop harassing my family, my friends, the Australian breaking community and the broader street dance community.

    “Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this, so I ask you to please respect their privacy.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • My Daughter Was Being Bullied. I Thought It’d Eventually End — Until I Had A Chilling Realization.

    My Daughter Was Being Bullied. I Thought It’d Eventually End — Until I Had A Chilling Realization.

    [ad_1]

    Arriving early to pick up my daughter Nina at the elementary school, I pulled my car into a parking spot across the street and scanned the playground for her. Most of the boys charged across the playground in a hilarious Mad Max version of soccer. A handful of girls played four-square with a red playground ball. And the rest either dangled from the jungle gym or crouched underneath it in small clumps.

    I spotted Nina sitting on one of the benches, back hunched, head down. One of the four-square players lobbed a sneering taunt in her direction. The other three players followed up with more. Nina didn’t move, so the player with the ball threw it at her. Nina lifted her face, grimaced — in pain or anger, I couldn’t tell — and shouted something back at the other girls.

    The playground monitor materialized — where was she before? — and put her hands on her hips while she spoke to Nina. The other girls didn’t even try to cover their smirks. Then the bell rang, and the children lined up to go back inside. It was a miracle I didn’t wreck the car when Nina told me on the way home that the teacher had made her stand in front of the class and apologize for being disruptive at recess and for not respecting her classmates.

    That day, my overwhelming desire was to take her back into my body, to hold her there where no one could reach her without first going through me. I wish I could say I swooped in and saved Nina from her tormentors, but I would have to accept failure — and acknowledge my own powerlessness — in order to do that.

    The bullying began in earnest in second grade. The town was small, the school even smaller. Most of the children in Nina’s class had played at our house and ridden in our car and eaten the snacks we always brought to various events.

    They were nice kids, we thought, but something changed over the summer between first and second grade. Each day our formerly lively daughter came home to us quiet, pale and withdrawn. For a while, Nina asked me why the girls were so mean to her, but my answer, my assurance that we loved her, was useless, because the real answer was that I didn’t know — I didn’t know! Nina’s first grade teacher had been at a loss as well, when I’d asked her the same question.

    Since the beginning of first grade, I had visited Nina’s class once a week and listened to the children read aloud. Some were hesitant, making their way haltingly through “Hop on Pop.” Others moved quickly through “Frog and Toad” and were well into “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.” I thought each one was performing miracles.

    I continued to volunteer in Nina’s second-grade classroom — “Frog and Toad” never gets old for me — but as I sat listening, watching a brow furrowed in concentration or a still-soft hand turn a page, I wondered about these children. I thought I knew them: One could burp the ABCs, another had a soft spot for babies and another was a fountain of fascinating, esoteric facts. I couldn’t reconcile their sweetness — they were so young — with the pain and destruction they had wrought. They were real, three-dimensional children, not cardboard-cutout villains, but still, whenever I thought about my daughter, all tenderness drained out of me, replaced by bafflement and, more and more, anger.

    Nina’s first grade school photo in 1998.

    When I talked to Nina’s teacher about the playground incident, he said, “Nina is responsible for her own behavior.” True, and we would be the last people to deny that, but surely the teacher had witnessed—

    But no, he insisted, he hadn’t.

    The school counselor confirmed that our daughter was being treated badly — by students and teachers alike. He found it personally distasteful, he told me, but was not in a position to change it, and when I asked, he discouraged me from approaching the principal. “I wouldn’t expect a positive outcome there,” he said, without elaborating.

    I tried talking with the parents. “There’s just something about Nina,” one said.

    I turned to books about bullying for guidance. I tried to prepare Nina by coaching her, as suggested, to not show the bullies that she was hurt. It is the victim’s weakness and isolation that makes her a target, they said, and it is her show of pain that incites the bullies to torment her further. If she could just pretend that nothing was happening, that she didn’t care, the bullies would grow bored of their sport and move on. I sometimes wondered how those “experts” could live with what they were implying: that the bullies would move on to another target and that this was somehow an acceptable solution.

    I taught cooperative games on the playground at recess — that way I could at least keep an eye on Nina. I joined the PTA, baked pies and brownies for every bake sale, volunteered as a chaperone for every field trip, showed up for the class Halloween party with a witch hat, green face paint and a whole cauldron bubbling with rage.

    Third grade arrived as bleary-eyed as I felt. My daughter was visibly shrinking, her blue eyes shaded a dull grey, her shoulders permanently bent. I became a freak, a wild animal. When Nina’s third-grade teacher ridiculed her for using manipulatives in math class — “Only kindergarteners need those,” he announced, to the delight of the rest of the class — I welcomed the chance to go in and scream, first at him, and then at the principal. “Since when did humiliation become a teaching tool?” I demanded.

    A welcome respite came for Nina in the form of the “Harry Potter” books, which she read over and over, lost in his world — and, for a few moments, no longer inhabiting her own.

    On the first day of fourth grade, each student was provided with a spiral bound day-planner with the school’s newly updated bullying policy printed and highlighted inside the front cover: Bullying “will not be tolerated.” It was almost too good to be true.

    It was too good to be true. Nina’s lunchbox tipped me off in November. After Nina came home from school, I opened it to wipe it out. It was full. Again.

    “I’m just not hungry, Mom,” she told me when I asked.

    I squatted down in front of her and took her hands in mine. “You’re not on trial, my Sweet Pea,” I said. I was looking up at her face as she stood next to the counter, next to the unopened yogurt, the still-wrapped sandwich, the container full of sliced cantaloupe — the evidence. Her long lashes shadowed her cheeks, so soft, so vulnerable. Her chin trembled.

    “I need to know what’s happening so I can help you,” I said, and I shook my head to silence the voice that sneered at me: Seriously? Like you’ve helped her so much before. Tears dripped down Nina’s cheeks, her shoulders slumped, and she sank down into my lap. She curled into an impossibly tiny ball, and said from somewhere inside my arms, “It will only make it worse.”

    Nina reading at home in 2001.
    Nina reading at home in 2001.

    Later, I called Nina’s teacher and explained that Nina was being attacked on the way to the cafeteria. “They’re pushing her into the snowdrifts and holding her there until she panics — the girls are doing this — and we need your help.” He was sympathetic, outraged even, and he suggested we meet with him and the other two class teachers to see if we could address the problem together. For the first time, I was hopeful that we might make some actual progress.

    The day before the meeting, the phone rang. I picked it up and, without a greeting, the principal growled, “There’s no bullying in my school. I can see the playground from my window, and I know there isn’t any.” She canceled our meeting and forbade the teachers from discussing it with us.

    The next day, my husband stalked into the principal’s office — no appointment — and gave her a piece of his mind using words that got her attention, like “duty,” “negligence” and “lawsuit.” It makes more of an impression when a father comes to school.

    The principal agreed to have an adult accompany the children when they walked between the two schools — fat lot that would do, but it was something. Then three girls attacked Nina on the playground at recess. They knocked her down and hit her and kicked her while the rest of the crowd watched. At that moment, with absolute clarity, we knew what we needed to do — what we should’ve done right from the start. We got her out. Finally, we got her out.

    Over the next few days, several mothers pulled me aside. Each one told me in a low, confidential voice that she was so relieved we had taken Nina out of school. Her child, she would say, had often come home in tears over what the other kids were doing to Nina. They felt terrible. It had been so very difficult for their kids, they said, and now it would be better.

    For the first two weeks after we pulled Nina out, the incident on the school playground was the talk of the town, but it was just gossip. There was no real conversation.

    One mother, in a feud with the school administration for her own reasons, maneuvered the principal into administering a survey to the student body in order to confirm the principal’s claim that there was no bullying. When asked if they had experienced cutting remarks, pushing or other aggressive acts at school, a majority of the students answered “yes.” The school administration responded by hiring a motivational speaker to teach the students how to identify bullies, as if they were just a few maladjusted kids — a performative way of abdicating responsibility and changing neither policy nor behavior.

    Nobody asked me what I thought — probably a good thing, because I was drowning in so much guilt I could barely breathe, let alone speak. If I were a painter or a photographer, I could have filled a whole portrait gallery with the faces of the bullies, faces from school and dance class, from the pool and the playground, from the grocery store and the post office. Everywhere we went, every day, we saw those faces.

    No, not the children. The adults: the bystanders who, by their inaction, gave tacit permission for the bullying. The onlookers who, by their silence, confirmed that the chosen victim, my daughter, was expendable. It would take a village to stop the bullies because, I learned, it takes a village to make one.

    A current photo of Nina

    Why do bullies bully? Because they can. Bullying is about power, and in a sense, it is very democratic: The power of the bully comes from the people. It starts with an opening gambit, a first salvo. The would-be bully makes some sort of move, a taunt, a swipe or a snub. The test is not for the victim. It is to see how others will react: thumbs up or thumbs down. In many ways, the victim is powerless. It doesn’t matter how she responds. Only the bystanders, the audience, can give a red or green light.

    Onlookers play a vital role, and therefore, they must be included for a solution to have any real effect. An example of a community shutting bullying down occurred in 1993, when a rash of hate crimes swept through a small city in Montana. Someone threw a brick through the window of a house where a Jewish boy had displayed a picture of a menorah. The community rejected the attack. The local paper published a full-page picture of a menorah. In days, 10,000 menorahs lined the city’s windows, with the message: not in our town. The police chief said, “Silence is acceptance.”

    Why do children bully? Because they have learned from adults who model it for them, who single out and disparage difference. A small but beneficial step schools and families can take is to include as wide a range of people as possible in their lives. Invite neighbors to your home. Seek out guests from all walks of life. Encourage them to tell their stories and model listening with courtesy and curiosity.

    Another way of doing this is to read widely. It is normal human instinct to be on guard or even act defensively when we are faced with the unfamiliar, but we can learn — and teach our children — to honor difference. Instead of defining ourselves by who we are not, we can show children that we are all bound together in some way, and we can choose to make that connection positive.

    When bullies came for my daughter, our village made their choice, which left us with only one: We moved away. Only by gaining physical distance have we all been able to rekindle our internal sparks.

    For the longest time, I searched for a way to help Nina heal. I often felt powerless — and overwhelmed with guilt at not being able to protect her. I had to fall back on the only thing I had left to offer: love. Her wounds healed, but scars remain.

    My daughter’s experience with bullies is a foundational part of who she is — highly protective of misfits, underdogs and outsiders, but also forever wary. After we moved, Nina found friends in our new town. But even now, two decades later, there is not a single room that she doesn’t scan before entering and ask: Will the people in it give a thumbs up or a thumbs down?

    Lea Page’s work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Rumpus, and River Teeth, among others. She is the author of “Parenting in the Here and Now” (Floris Books, 2015) and lives in the mountain west with her husband and a small circus of semi-domesticated animals.

    Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Davidson charter student wore baseball jersey then saw years of antisemitism, feds say

    Davidson charter student wore baseball jersey then saw years of antisemitism, feds say

    [ad_1]

    The Community School of Davidson has settled a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education after years of antisemitic bullying against a student who wore an Israeli Olympic jersey.

    The Community School of Davidson has settled a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education after years of antisemitic bullying against a student who wore an Israeli Olympic jersey.

    Street View image from June 2023 © 2024 Google

    The Community School of Davidson has settled a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education after a student endured persistent antisemitic bullying for two years.

    The investigation by the Office for Civil Rights found the K-12 charter school allowed the bullying to continue despite knowing about it. The settlement requires the school to address what the boy’s mother calls “the systemic antisemitism” in its community.

    “They found that the evidence confirms that the child was subjected to a hostile environment based on his perceived Jewish ancestry, that the school knew about it and that it did not consistently take prompt steps to address it or the broader hostile environment,” attorney Denise Katz-Prober told The Charlotte Observer.

    Katz-Prober works for the Louis D. Brandeis Center, a nonprofit that filed the complaint.

    The boy, now in eighth grade, wore the Israeli Olympic jersey of his favorite baseball player to school one day, and a group of nine students harassed and bullied him with antisemitic language over the next two years, according to the federal complaint filed on Aug. 11, 2023. The student is not Jewish.

    Students called the boy numerous antisemitic names every day and mocked him with references to the Holocaust, according to the boy’s mother. She asked that her name and her son’s name be withheld.

    “I could give you pages and pages of the things that were said,” she told The Observer. “Just the more vile and horrible things you could imagine, and that was every day, in classrooms, in hallways, everywhere.”

    Of the nine students, two were given in-school suspension, five had meetings with parents and administration and two were not disciplined at all, the boy’s mother said.

    The Community School of Davidson, which is a public charter school, did not respond to The Observer’s request for comment.

    “It would be hard to overstate the impact this has had on my child,” the boy’s mother said during a recent congressional briefing on Capitol Hill about rising antisemitism in K-12 schools. “As a parent this has been completely devastating.”

    While she said she’s pleased with the settlement, she’s shocked it took this kind of intervention for the school to change its policies.

    What U.S. Department of Education found

    The U.S. Department of Education confirmed in the settlement that evidence it found substantiates the Brandeis Center’s claim that students’ behavior at the school violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race or ethnicity.

    “This case shows the various ways in which non-Jews as well as Jews can be harmed by antisemitic attitudes,” said Kenneth Marcus, chair of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. “The law recognizes that discrimination against those ‘perceived’ to be Jewish must be addressed because it is still bigotry, and it can quickly and dangerously multiply and seep into an entire community.”

    The agreement requires the school to take the following immediate steps:

    • Publish and publicize a statement that it does not tolerate “acts of harassment based on a student’s actual or perceived race, color or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.“

    • Review and revise its non-discrimination policies.

    • Develop or revise procedures for harassment complaints and actions taken in response by the school.

    • Ensure parents and students have access to a counselor to discuss incidents.

    • Annual training for school staff and administrators on anti-discrimination law under Title VI and what antisemitism looks like

    • Develop a student informational program to address discrimination including on the basis of actual or perceived shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics.

    • Conduct audits for the last two school years to determine if any similar incidents occurred and take steps to remedy the effects those incidents may have had on students.

    • Conduct an audit at the end of the 2024-25 school year to assess compliance with the school’s anti-discrimination policies and procedures.

    The Department of Education says it will monitor the Community School of Davidson until it determines it is in compliance with the terms of the settlement and the law.

    “I think this case is a reminder that the problem of antisemitism, whether it’s in K-12 schools or on college campuses, should not be shoved under the rug,” said Katz-Prober. “It needs to be addressed head-on by educators, administrators and the Department of Education.”

    Related stories from Charlotte Observer

    Rebecca Noel reports on education for The Charlotte Observer. She’s a native of Houston, Texas, and graduated from Rice University. She later received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys reading, running and frequenting coffee shops around Charlotte.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Trauma-informed teaching strategies can benefit all students

    Trauma-informed teaching strategies can benefit all students

    [ad_1]

    Key points:

    Although our communities strive to maintain safety, nearly half of all American children have experienced some form of trauma. Some of these include everyday Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) such as bullying, witnessing violence, experiencing physical, verbal or sexual abuse, or neglect. According to the National Child Trauma Stress Network, these experiences can spark strong emotions and physical reactions that can persist long after an initial trauma event.

    Traumatic events can cause a variety of physical and emotional symptoms and can impact children at home and at school. In addition to struggling with schoolwork, children who’ve experienced trauma may overreact to routine requests, engage in negative outbursts or aggression, show signs of sadness, have difficulty focusing, and may struggle to interact appropriately with peers and teachers.

    Educators don’t necessarily know which students have been affected by trauma. However, because it impacts such a large number of students, you can use specific strategies to help all students develop resiliency and improve emotional regulation. Here are some trauma-informed teaching strategies you can use to intentionally strengthen your relationships with students and support their success.

    Create classroom routines

    Research focused on classroom norms and expectations shows that students want and need academic and behavioral expectations from their teachers. Establishing simple daily routines for your students–such as daily warm-ups or ice breakers–and establishing procedures for asking questions and turning in classwork create a sense of stability and predictability. When you create predictable routines, your students will have an easier time understanding what steps they need to take to be successful in your classroom.

    Set clear expectations

    More than 25,000 schools nationwide already use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) frameworks to support students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. By extending your school’s PBIS framework school-wide, your teachers can maintain consistent expectations and reward students for their progress and achievements. For example, some PBIS solutions allow teachers and staff to immediately acknowledge positive student behavior from mobile devices. Students earn PBIS points, which can then be tracked and redeemed. This helps teachers eliminate manual paperwork and reporting which increases instructional time.

    Adopt restorative–rather than punitive–practices

    Zero-tolerance classroom policies that focus on disciplinary actions do not equip students with the skills they need to improve relationships or de-escalate conflict. Instead, they remove students from their learning environments and deny them the opportunity to make positive changes. Conversely, restorative practices, such as mediation or peer conflict resolution, allow students to take responsibility for their actions, engage with others, and develop empathy and understanding.

    Introduce calming techniques

    Students who’ve experienced trauma encounter significant challenges with emotional regulation. Research suggests that early trauma exposure fundamentally alters the way children process and prioritize emotional information. Other behavioral studies that look at the behavior of children with trauma histories show “enhanced attention to and difficulty in disengaging from emotional stimuli (Tottenham et al., 2010).” By encouraging students to engage in mindfulness practices, you can help them better manage their emotions and behaviors. Some techniques include walking meditation, body awareness, and breathing exercises.

    Engage in social-emotional learning (SEL)

    Children who’ve experienced traumatic events may have an even greater need to master social-emotional learning skills. A strong SEL curriculum not only benefits these students, but it builds skills school-wide. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the fundamentals of social-emotional learning include:

    • Developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes to create healthy identities
    • Managing emotions and achieve personal and collective goals
    • Feeling and showing empathy for others
    • Establishing and maintaining supportive relationships
    • Making responsible and caring decisions

    In order for SEL to be effective, curricula should be backed by evidence-based research, be age-appropriate, and be engaging for students. Solutions should also be flexible enough to allow districts to tailor their programs to meet the diverse needs of their students. The overarching goal of SEL is to make all students feel safe and supported, which leads to better mental health and greater engagement for all students–including those who’ve experienced trauma.

    Regularly encourage and recognize your students

    Trauma significantly impacts a child’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth. People who lack safety or a sense of belonging develop survival skills to better cope with their situation, according to Psychology Today. These adaptive behaviors can make children prone to loneliness, depression, anxiety, or other self-sabotaging behaviors. By taking the opportunity to acknowledge their contributions to your classroom so that they feel valued, capable, and successful, you can help them develop a positive self-image.

    The prevalence of childhood trauma doesn’t have to result in power struggles, behavior problems, or academic deficiencies. Reaching students who’ve experienced trauma requires education, patience, compassion, and creativity. By creating welcoming spaces and using proven tools and techniques that help you get to know all of your students better, you can guide them toward academic–and lifelong–success.

     

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

    [ad_2]

    Melissa Ragan, Navigate360

    Source link

  • Young artists create own theater

    Young artists create own theater

    [ad_1]

    MANCHESTER-BY-THE SEA — A group of young artists have been writing a series of 10-minute plays which they’ll act in and produce this weekend at Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School.

    “In the beginning, the kids were like ‘There’s no way I can do this,’” said awarding-winning actress Heidi Dallin. “But we started doing theater games and doing (improvisation) and giving them a really good foundation in acting and reacting and being on stage.

    “You learn a lot when you’re in a show but there’s so much improvisation and being the master of what you’re doing on stage.”

    Dallin, head of the the Manchester Essex Regional Middle School Drama Department and the YMCA of the North Shore’s theater specialist, has been working with the Manchester Essex Regional Middle School students on the plays since March.

    Student Antonia Vivanco told Dallin she could never think of anything to write, but Dallin encouraged her to go home and think about her experiences in acting and in life.

    “She came in the next time with her play,” Dallin said. “You don’t know what you’re capable of. My job is to help them find that and go out and try it. Theater is the most amazing experience. You create bonds with the actors you work with. But it’s hard work.”

    Vivanco wrote and directs “Don’t Worry,” which tells the story of Meghan, who suffers anxiety, but eventually grows more confident.

    “She tends to worry about what people will think of what she says,” Vivanco said. “She’s afraid that people will judge her. It’s based on me and the people around me who worry about this.”

    In “The Quest of Charles” a young man aims to try out for the track team, but he finds his parents are resistant and want him to focus solely on his studies. Calvin Lee said his play is based on the parents of fellow students.

    “I think you should stand up to your parents if you don’t agree with them,” he said. “I feel this too.”

    “The Extra-Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Alien,” written and directed by Annabelle Kerivan, 13, tells the story of coping with students who bully their peers.

    “Anyone who knows what it’s like to be bullied knows that it’s hard to overcome bullying,” Kerivan said. “But not everybody is a bad person.”

    Kit Carpenter created the play “My Very Best Enemy.”

    “I’m excited to see this performed,” Carpenter said.

    Dallin predicted her student actors are going places.

    “These Manchester middle school students are the new and upcoming voices of the American theater,” she said. “Watch out Neil Simon and Tennessee Williams.”

    Assisting Dallin has been stage manager and Rockport resident Julia Drost, a Tufts University student.

    “She works on my YMCA Theater Team,” Dallin said. “In middle school and high school, Julia took acting and playwriting classes with me and she wrote her own plays. She is a great resource for the Manchester playwrights.”

    Part of heater, Dallin said, is learning lines and movements on stage.

    “It’s fun to watch them blossom,” she said. “Someone who might have been quiet in class now is there giving direction on how the play should look on stage. It’s really exciting to see them grow in confidence and understand what it’s like to be a director or maybe to be a playwright.”

    “I want to inspire these kids to take on new challenges and try new things,” said Dallin. “How many middle-schoolers can say ‘I’ve produced a play and I have directing experience’ and they’re not even out of middle school? I want to give them confidence in life which will help them with their school work too.”

    But for now, the first-ever Young Theatre Artists Festival, is slated to take the stage at Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School, 36 Linclon St. The festival theme is “Facing Your Fears: From Beasts to Bullies.”

    The slate of plays is:

    “My Very Best Enemy,” written and directed by Kit Carpenter.

    “Shivers Down My Spine,” written and directed by Scarlett Chobanian.

    “The Extra-Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Alien,” written and directed by Annabelle Kerivan.

    “Little Girl,” written and directed by Maya Khan.

    “The Quest of Charles,” written and directed by Calvin Lee.

    “Don’t Worry,” written and directed by Antonia Vivanco.

    The production is a collaboration between the YMCA of the North Shore and Manchester Essex Regional Middle School

    Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $11 and can be purchased at https://our.show/YoungTheatreArtistsFestival2024.

    Stephen Hagan may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or shagan@gloucestertimes.com.

    [ad_2]

    By Stephen Hagan | Staff Writer

    Source link

  • Comment utiliser le jeu-écoute face au harcèlement de son enfant

    Comment utiliser le jeu-écoute face au harcèlement de son enfant

    [ad_1]

    Article traduit de l’anglais par Sophie Menard, formatrice certifiée à l’approche parentale Hand in Hand.

    “Mon fils de sept ans se faisait harceler par ses camarades de classe depuis des mois. Cela avait commencé avec les garçons, mais bientôt, certaines filles avaient aussi commencé à s’en prendre à lui. Notre vie familiale s’en trouvait vraiment impacté et nous devions faire face à de gros épisodes de colère et d’agressivité quand mon fils rentrait de l’école.

    Bien sûr, j’ai essayé de parler aux enseignants et aux parents. Tout le monde disait qu’il était désolé, mais rien ne changeait.

    Un matin, nous sommes partis en sortie scolaire pendant deux jours, pour laquelle les familles avaient été également invitées. Je décidais d’emmener aussi mes deux plus jeunes enfants.

    Voir mon fils être exclu était vraiment dur à observer. Je le voyais essayer désespérément de se faire accepter par le groupe, mais ça finissait toujours en échec. Et c’était encore plus difficile de voir comment tous les enfants ont commencé à exclure aussi ses petites sœurs. Ma fille a été immédiatement harcelée et exclue des jeux, simplement parce qu’elle était la petite sœur de mon fils.

    J’étais bouleversé, pas seulement par les enfants, mais aussi par les autres parents, qui pensaient que nous devions “laisser les enfants se débrouiller entre eux”. 

    Et c’est presque “par vengeance” que j’ai décidé de leur montrer que la situation pouvait être renversée si on mettait en œuvre les bons outils.

    Lorsque les enfants se trouvait tous vers les balançoires du parc, j’ai commencé un jeu avec mes propres enfants:  je faisais semblant d’être en colère et je les pourchassais lorsqu’ils m’appelaient par de noms d’oiseaux.

     Mes enfants connaissent bien le jeu et l’adorent, mais bientôt, de nombreux autres enfants ont rejoint le jeu, tous m’appelant par des noms parfois…très créatifs ! 

     Je pouvais voir qu’ils avaient vraiment besoin de cela. Ils criaient avec enthousiasme des versions de mon nom et d’autres noms d’oiseaux peu enviables avant de s’enfuir avec joie.

    Le jeu a duré environ 40 minutes. Je les ai poursuivis, sans jamais réellement les attraper, tout en me montrant faussement en colère et totalement bouleversée. 

    À un moment donné, une petite fille a fondu en larmes. Elle protestait contre la nature du jeu et a dit que c’était méchant. Je l’ai écoutée pendant un court instant et je l’ai rassurée en lui disant que c’était acceptable de m’appeler par ces noms, tant que c’était “dans le jeu” et que nous essayions de rire pour dissiper les blessures que les insultes peuvent causer.

    Nous avons participé à de nombreuses autres activités lors de la sortie, mais tout au long de la journée, les enfants ont demandé à jouer à nouveau au jeu des insultes. J’ai joué quelques minutes à la fois par-ci, par-là, puis nous avons joué une partie plus longue avant d’aller tous dormir.

    Le lendemain, quatre enfants sont venus me demander une autre session, mais cette fois, ils ont demandé des règles différentes. Cette fois, ils voulaient que je les appelle par les mauvais noms qu’ils avaient utilisés la veille. Quand je les appelais par ces noms, ils riaient et riaient, et me demandaient de les poursuivre tout en répétant les noms encore et encore.

    Notre session de jeu improvisée a vraiment souligné à quel point les rires et l’écoute peuvent aider les enfants à défaire les nœuds émotionnels qui peuvent causer de la souffrance s’ils sont laissés sans intervention, et j’ai été émerveillé, une fois de plus, par les capacités des enfants à savoir exactement ce dont ils ont besoin pour les aider à guérir leurs blessures. 

    Il n’a pas fallu longtemps non plus avant qu’ils invitent mes enfants à se joindre à leur jeu. “

    Tu veux en apprendre plus sur l’outil utilisé par cette maman, que l’on appelle le Jeu-écoute ? Découvre cet article, Cinq outils d’écoute qui vont transformer ta façon d’être parent.

    [ad_2]

    Sophie Menard

    Source link

  • New Study Shows Kids Are Bullied For Not Spending Money In Free-To-Play Games

    New Study Shows Kids Are Bullied For Not Spending Money In Free-To-Play Games

    [ad_1]

    New data from Norway examines how video games influence children, their social behaviors, and their spending habits. It turns out, younger players are being bullied over their lack of cosmetic skins, are using in-game items to become more popular, and are struggling to avoid all the ads and user-made scams connected to popular online games like FIFA, Fortnite, and Warzone.

    As reported by Crossplay—a gaming newsletter focused on parents and kids founded by former Kotaku writer Patrick Klepek—a pair of studies by Norwegian researchers include some alarming information about how kids between the ages of 10-15 interact with video games and how these popular games can have big effects on their social lives. The studies were conducted by researchers Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes and Clara Julia Reich of Oslo Metropolitan University as part of a larger initiative by Norway’s government to understand the relationship between children and games.

    According to Reich, their findings show that how a child appears in a game can play a “crucial” role in how other kids treat them.

    “Children may experience being called poor if they haven’t spent money on their character. Children who have spent money on their in-game character can gain increased attention and other advantages, thus buying popularity,” said Steinnes.

    This is because nowadays, children’s digital and real lives are one and the same. Wearing the right skin in Fortnite is just as important as dressing correctly at school, according to the studies. And kids who can’t afford the right gear or who don’t play games are struggling to fit in.

    “There’s no sharp distinction between their online and offline world. These are just different parts of the social world they navigate, and appearance, or skins, are important identity markers,” said Steinnes.

    One 13-year-old, Frank, added: “If you don’t play with anyone, you kind of have nothing to talk about at school.”

    “Kids into football play FIFA and spend money on in-game items that confer status, while others spend money on effects from Nike, Balenciaga, or Star Wars. They are influenced by memes and trends on platforms like TikTok,” said Reich.

    Speaking to Crossplay, the researchers further elaborated:

    The pressure to fit in resembles what is already taking place in other contexts but takes on new forms. Some children might end up feeling excluded if they lack the resources (e.g., Wi-Fi, gaming equipment, in-game currency) to play with their friends or might get picked on based on what ‘skin’ they are wearing.

    Publishers and scammers are taking advantage of kids

    Making things worse is that video game publishers have become very skilled at constantly advertising games and in-app purchases to kids. This means it’s becoming harder and harder for children to focus on other things in their lives, making the pressure to have the coolest skin grow even worse. And for kids who can’t afford to fit in, they can be bullied or treated poorly by their peers. For girls, this abuse is often worse, both in and out of games.

    “I heard things like ‘go back to the kitchen’, and it was like ‘you’re a girl, die, die, die’. It was, like, very graphic,” said Sidra, a 14-year-old girl who was part of the study. The study also showed that skins and in-game cosmetics can create “digital body-image” issues, too.

    Another problem found in the studies is that kids report being scammed. The researchers suggest that this is because kids lack “consumer competence” but are being thrust into situations where they encounter high-pressure sales tactics built around making them feel like they have to act fast or miss out. And when someone comes along promising them cheap currency or a good deal, kids might not realize it’s a scam until it’s too late.

    “This is problematic because children and young people are a vulnerable consumer group navigating almost unregulated markets on their own,” said Reich.

    Overall, it’s enough to make me thankful I don’t have kids and don’t have to help them navigate the modern world of free-to-play video games that often share more in common with casinos than they do with other games you play for fun. And as the internet becomes more and more a part of every bit of our lives and games become more and more popular on mobile devices, the situation may only get worse.

    .

    [ad_2]

    Zack Zwiezen

    Source link

  • Bullying may leave teens at greater risk of psychosis

    Bullying may leave teens at greater risk of psychosis

    [ad_1]

    Bullying may leave teens at greater risk of psychosis, research has found.

    The study from researchers at the University of Tokyo, which is published in the Journal of Molecular Psychiatry, reports that bullying was linked to a chemical change in the brain, that increased the risk of psychosis-like symptoms. Psychosis is a disconnect from reality and comes in the form of several disorders, such as schizophrenia. The researchers found that the psychotic episodes experienced by these teens did not meet the criteria needed in order to diagnose them with a psychotic disorder; however, there was a clear increased risk of hallucinations, radical change in behavior or thinking, and paranoia.

    A stock photo shows a girl being bullied by peers. A study found that teens who are bullied are more likely to have psychotic disorders.

    Daisy-Daisy/Getty

    “Studying these subclinical psychotic experiences is important for us to understand the early stages of psychotic disorders and for identifying individuals who may be at increased risk for developing a clinical psychotic illness later on,” Naohiro Okada, lead author of the study and project associate professor at the University of Tokyo’s International Research Center for Neurointelligence said in a summary of the research findings.

    To reach these findings, the researchers measured the glutamate levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) region of Japanese teenagers’ brains. The ACC is a neurotransmitter in the brain that works to regulate the body’s emotions and cognitive control. They compared the changes in glutamate levels when the teenager had experienced bullying, and when they had not experienced bullying.

    They also considered whether the teenager had sought help for the bullying.

    Along with an increased risk of psychotic episodes, the scientists found that being bullied had a significant impact on the teens’ well-being, the study reported.

    Scientists already knew that bullying at school can be highly determinantal to an adolescent’s wellbeing. But the link between bullying, the ACC, glutamate levels and teenagers, has never been studied before.

    These findings suggest that the neurotransmitter could be a future target for treatments in psychotic disorders.

    However, the researchers stress that non-medical treatment options, such as talking therapy, remain important for psychotic disorders. It is also vital to provide support to those who are experiencing bullying, the study reports.

    “First and foremost, anti-bullying programs in schools that focus on promoting positive social interactions and reducing aggressive behaviors are essential for their own sake and to reduce the risk of psychosis and its subclinical precursors,” Okada said in the summary. “These programs can help create a safe and supportive environment for all students, reducing the likelihood of bullying and its negative consequences.”

    Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about mental health? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.