Safe Schools and Bully Prevention Resources
In the Media
WSU Bully Prevention
- MASS Appeal: The dark side of social networking - This segment from the Mass Appeal TV news show covers recent cyberbullying incidents and features CENTER director Pat Gardner. (Channel 22 News, 2/1/11)
- From the Statehouse to Your House - State Senator Stephen J. Buoniconti interviews Dr. Elizabeth Stassinos, WSC Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, on the topic of bullying.
- Westfield State College takes aim at school bullying (Associated Press, April 2010)
- Professor Says School Cultures Can Help Prevent Bullying (9/14/09)
Articles on Bullying
- Cyberbullying Searchable Information Center - a free E-Book collection provided as a public service by ebrary, a provider of digital content products and technologies, to help parents, educators, and others better understand, prevent, and take action against bullying.
- Harassment and Cyberbullying - this article packed with information and links to resources on text messaging harrassment and other forms of cyberbullying
- A Call to Stop Bullying - This article by Jacob C. Herman, corporate trainer and former educator, is jam packed with bully prevention resources for students, teachers, and parents.
- Cyber Bullying Illegal: Mass. Governor Signs Landmark Anti-Bullying Law (CBS News, 5/4/10)
- One Year Later: Carl Walker-Hoover (Advocate, 4/6/10)
- Reevaluating School Bullying (CBS News, 4/4/10)
- Dealing with bullying: South Hadley officials vow strong action (Daily Hampshire Gazette, 2/6/10)
- Residents demand answers after S. Hadley bullying death (Boston, 2/3/10)
- Suicide of teen renews push for anti-bullying legislation (NECN, 1/28/10)
- Lawmaker: Anti-Bullying Bill Almost Ready For Full Vote (Boston, 1/27/10)
- The untouchable Mean Girls (Boston, 1/24/10)
- 11-Year-Old Hangs Himself after Enduring Daily Anti-Gay Bullying (GLSEN, 4/9/09)
Resources and other information
- "Schools as Bully Proof Zones" Conference Materials - The CENTER hosted the first two bully prevention conferences in its "Schools as Bully Proof Zones" series, one in June 2010 and the other in January 2011. For your convenience, we have made the the conference presentations and handouts from both programs available on our site.
- Bullying Worksheet - The worksheet uses a checklist format to help educators understand the Massachusetts Bullying Law (MGL Chapter 92). This worksheet is intended to help with but is not substitute for a reading of the actual law.
- MA DESE Bullying Prevention and Intervention Resources - This page provides information on the MA anti-bullying law and regulations, school bully prevention plans, parent information, and other related resources.
- Cyberbullying Research Center - This organization is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents. Cyberbullying can be defined as "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices."
- Teaching Tolerance - This site, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, is a place to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools.
- The Olweus Bully Prevention Program - A comprehensive, school-wide program designed and evaluated for use in elementary, middle, or junior high schools. The program reduces/prevents bullying and improves peer relations. It has been implemented in more than a dozen countries around the world, and in thousands of schools in the US.
- The Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College - This organization provides free and low-cost bullying and cyberbullying prevention programs, research, and resources for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Their website includes free downloads for parents and educators, research reports, statistics, and free online resources. They host conferences yearly on timely topics related to school violence prevention and will be offering Faculty Train-the-Trainer programs in conjunction with the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education during the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Preparing for the New Bullying Law by Elizabeth Englander (from MARC Administrators Workshops)
- Partnering with Parents by Margaret Hannah (from MARC Administrators Workshops)
- Pending MA Senate legislation on Bullying (the 699 docket info presented by Joan M. Menard)
- U.S. Department of Education: Federal Education Priorities and Creating Safe Schools (presentation) - This is a presentation by Kevin Jennings, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (featured speaker at our Bully Prevention Conference, June 2010)
- Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) - This amendment is intended to protect the rights of parents and students. It ensures that schools make instructional materials available for inspection by parents and that parental consent is obtained for students participating in activities that reveal certain types of personal or sensitive information.
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - This is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
- Video Games Ratings - Controversy over the impact of violence/mature themes in video games has resulted in a rating system for video games. This article discusses the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) ratings, which can be helpful to parents who want to better understand and monitor the types of content their children are exposed to in video games.
Books
- The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't by Robert I. Sutton
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
- Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman (author website)
- The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job by Gary Namie, Ph.D. and Ruth Namie, Ph.D.
- Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity by Erving Goffman
- Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools by Elizabeth J. Meyer