The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention released Bullying in Schools: An Overview, the first of five bulletins examining bullying in schools and support schools can provide bullying victims.  Bullying is a complex social and emotional problem impacting children and schools.  In extreme cases, victims face shooting, physical assaults, or other harassment that may cause them to turn to suicide.

“Parents and schools across the country worry about the devastating harm bullying can cause, and we share this concern for our nation’s children,” said Jeff Slowikowski, OJJDP’s Acting Administrator.  “This new study highlights the impact of bullying and recommends effective anti-bullying strategies that schools can implement to keep students safe.”

Conducted by the National Center for School Engagement in 2007, the OJJDP-funded study focused on the connection between bullying, truancy, and low academic achievement and examined whether engaging students in academics or extracurricular activities mediates these factors.

Bullying does not directly cause truancy, researchers found.  A caring school community where students are challenged academically and adults support them can serve as a powerful antidote.  Victimization often distances students from learning and contributes to a myriad of other problems, including truancy and academic failure.

The researchers found “bullying in a box” curriculums—generic, pre-fabricated, anti-bullying curriculums—to be an ineffective substitute for intentional, student-focused engagement strategies.

The researchers further recommended these strategies for schools:

• Offer mentoring programs;
• Provide students with opportunities for community service;
• Address the difficult transition between elementary and middle school (from one single classroom teacher to teams of teachers with periods and class changes in a large school); and
• Start prevention programs early.

OJJDP’s bullying series examines the relationship among bullying, school attendance, school engagement, and school achievement; presents survey findings of young adults bullied in grade school; provides teachers’ observations on efforts to ameliorate school bullying; and compares findings to existing research on bullying.

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Cox is launching a multi-faceted anti-bullying public service campaign in response to the growing problem of youth bullying in Virginia. This program will reach parents and children, while providing tools needed to successfully cope with bullying. This effort is in coordination with the premiere of Cox Channel 11′s “Plugged-In: Breaking the Bully Culture” special.

The program will premiere on Sunday, November 20, at 8 p.m. Also, radio personalities from several radio stations in the Hampton Roads market are partnering with Cox to share important information on bullying. Nick Taylor and Tricia Harris Friddell from Z104; Chuck Doudand Mary Kathryn Wood from The Point, Teresa Baker from R&B-FM; and Jenna Kehoe from 2WD will appear in the television advertisements intended to raise awareness of the problem of bullying.

Also, free informational resource cards and “Take Charge! Stop the Bullying” wristbands will be available at all Cox Solutions Stores for kids and parents during this campaign. These materials address the warning signs of youth bullying and offer advice for kids on how to better deal with bullying situations and behaviors.

Gary McCollum, SVP & General Manager of Cox Communications said, “The statistics which show how many of our kids are being bullied, are alarming. Our goal is to bring more general awareness to this important issue, and to arm both children and parents with resources to face and overcome it.”

Research from the National Center for Bullying Prevention, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, was used to develop the materials for this public service effort. The following are statistics which are most prominent in the findings:

• One in every four kids is bullied frequently
• Only twenty-five to fifty percent of those children report the bullying
• This is a growing problem and quickly becoming an epidemic in this country.

McCollum adds, “Cox Communications is committed to supporting youth and education, and we are proud to launch this state-wide campaign.”

“Plugged In: Breaking the Bully Culture” Special on Cox 11

Cox Channel 11 will air another episode of its award-winning show “Plugged In: Breaking the Bully Culture” on Sunday. This special will give viewers a closer look at the impact of bullying behaviors on young people.

The show is hosted by Z104 morning radio personality, Nick Taylor, who speaks with students from Crittenden and Passage Middle Schools about the bullying behaviors they face everyday. Experts throughout Virginia who specialize in the advocacy for bullying prevention also join the discussion.

• Dr. Catherine Moffett , Associate Professor, Counselor Education, VCU
• Dr. Tawyna Pettiford-Wates , Founder & Director, The Conciliation Project
• Donzell Lewis , The Conciliation Project
• Janelle Spitz, Principal, Passage Middle School
• Patrice Lambusta , Library Media Specialist, Passage Middle School
• Tanya Graham , Teacher, Crittenden Middle School
• Nicholas Diggs , Teacher, Crittenden Middle School
• Deborah Christian , Certified Trainer, The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Participating in this production is a panel of bullying prevention experts from across the state including advisors from Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, the Virginia Departments of Health and Education, and the National Center for the Prevention of Bullying.

Students from Passage Middle School and Crittenden Middle school were part of the interactive audience of the ‘Plugged In’ special hosted by Z104′s Nick Taylor. Tips and information sharing for subscribers will also occur regularly on the Cox Facebook and Twitter pages during the campaign.

There will be additional airings of this show throughout December and January on Cox 11 Hampton Roads, Cox 9 Roanoke, and the program will be available On Demand channel 2069.

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