Resources to Fight Bullying and Harassment at School

Collaboration for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

Organizations such as the Chicago-based Collaboration for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) have a number of well-researched reports and other resources on their website to combat school bullying. Read the full CASEL report, "Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention."

StopBullying.gov

StopBullying.gov is an official U.S. Government website that brings together information from various agencies. Information is divided into age-appropriately areas for kids, young adults, and college students, as well as parents, educators, and others in the community.

PACER Center

PACER Center, originally created to help parents and families of children with disabilities, is the founder of National Bullying Prevention Month. The PACER bullying portal provides bullying resources for parents and teachers, including awareness toolkits, contest ideas, promotional products, and more. PACER also has anti-bullying websites specifically for teens and younger kids.

Not in Our School

Not in Our School (NOIS) calls itself a movement -- bringing together students and teachers from across the country to share stories and take action to create safe schools, free from stereotypes, intolerance, and hate. The organization partners with Facing History and Ourselves to create curriculum materials. Check out the wealth of resources on their website: videos, activities, workshops, and lesson plans that showcase the immense capacity, energy, and creativity of young people who are creating new ways to make their schools safe for everyone. Watch the video, "Not in Our Town," to learn more.

Learning First Alliance

The Learning First Alliance is a partnership of 16 leading education associations dedicated to improving student learning in America's public schools. The bullying section of their website is a clearinghouse for links to anti-bullying initiatives and campaigns from a number of different education organizations, including the National Parent Teacher Association's (PTA) Connect for Respect initiative and the National Education Association's (NEA) Bully Free: It Starts With Me campaign, along with books, videos, articles, and other resources for preventing bullying in schools.

National Crime Prevention Council

The National Crime Prevention Council provides advices, strategies, and downloadable resources for teachers and parents. Resources are divided by relevant age and gender, including specific information on girls and bullying. NCPC also provides information on bullying laws and policy and bullying prevention certification programs for both adults and children.

The American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association provides statistical data and scholarly resources for K-12 teachers in its Bullying Module, which includes a "Do's and Don'ts of Bullying" list and a "Myths and Facts" page.

Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

At the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), you'll learn how to set up a gay-straight alliance at your school. On the site, you'll find an extensive library of resources, including anti-bullying techniques, a Safe School Campaign kit, K-12 curricula and lesson plans, and research reports. Download GLSEN's report "From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America -- a National Report on School Bullying." And check out the Edutopia articles, "Teaching Tolerance: Meet the Teacher Who Started Gay-Straight Alliances" and "How Educators Can Make Schools Safer."

Human Rights Campaign

For a state-by-state survey of GLBT students and anti-harassment laws, visit the Human Rights Campaign's online database of state laws.

First Amendment Center

The First Amendment Center provides a framework for diverse communities to bridge their differences to address issues such as sexual orientation and school safety within public schools. Their guidelines are also available as downloads from their website (PDF).

The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project focuses on crisis and suicide prevention among kids in the high-risk GLBT student population. One statistic that should give pause: For every completed act of suicide by a young person, there are an estimated 100 to 200 attempts made by troubled youths. All teachers should review the Trevor Project's list of warning signs, including the following:

• A tendency towards isolation and social withdrawal
• Substance abuse
• Expressions of a negative attitude toward the self
• Expressions of hopelessness or helplessness

Keep in mind that even one supportive educator can make a tremendous difference. A 2007 GLSEN survey of schools found that the ability of a LGBT student to identify even one caring adult at school significantly lessened a harassed student's tendency to skip class. Those who could identify six or more supportive educators reported higher grade point averages, high educational aspirations, and a greater sense of belonging to their school community.

More Anti-Bullying Resources

• Start Empathy Initiative from Ashoka
• "Combat Bullying with PBS LearningMedia Resources" from KQED
• "Cyberbullying Starts in the Classroom: A Prevention Guide for Teachers" from Teaching Degree