CNN: Who Says There Is No Solution to Bullying? | Not in Our Town

CNN: Who Says There Is No Solution to Bullying?

By Becki Cohn-Vargas, Not In Our School Director

All of us have experienced cruel behavior, either as a participant, victim or witness. The Not In Our School “Break Bullying”public service announcement, donated by the MAKE ad agency, appears to bring back those bad memories. The announcement depicts adults in a professional environment re-enacting the personal middle school bullying experience of the director, Mike Nelson. His point: If we would not stand for this at work, why do we stand for it happening to kids in schools? The purpose of the PSA is to make us want to do something—to intervene, unlike the co-workers who watch their colleague pushed to the floor.

Not In Our School focuses on solutions. It provides positive films and resources to networks of schools, so when MAKE first presented the video, we weren’t sure we could use it. But then we saw what happened when people viewed it. They started talking about how it looked when adults felt the kind of pain children experience every day. ...
 

Comments

Bullying is a systemic problem and can only be prevented or stopped by teaching a culture of personal respect for everyone in the school, the workplace, or even in the church. Bullying hurts not just the victims but also those who look on and do nothing. Many bystanders, including superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, as well as children and youth, abhor the guilt and helplessness they live with for lack of good tools for change. Deep down they know on some level that in standing by they are participating in a system that supports looking the other way, which grows the problem. Most people are doing the best they know how, and when we all believe that, we can stop judging and can get down to the important work of really seeing and hearing other points of view. I'm very pleased to know of the solution focused work of NIOS. How can we bring it to other parts of the country?

I am a victim of workplace bullying....I face it everyday at work but I do not have the courage to walk out for 3 reasons. 1. I am working to support my family 2. jobs are few and far between in the area that I live. 3 there is no guarantee I wont face it at another place of work. Workplace bullying has paralyzed me mentally and physically. I endure it quietly as there is no one in my company who will listen to me they do not want to hear the term bullying. I walk into work thinking positive with a smile on my face and a skip in my step and each time I do it I get beaten into the ground deeper. There are times I get the look from co workers that they would be happy if they heard I was dead. That's the intensity of hate in their eyes. all because I will not participate in negativism or bringing other fellow employees down. So now I am the target. The one that either needs to be pushed to quit or find a reason to fire her. I go to work in fear of what I may face everyday. I know there are many like me out there. I want help and advise as to how I could face this bravely without breaking, and how I can raise awareness and start and ati-bullying revolution in America. Please direct me to places where I can find answers.

 The best resource I have found is Workplacebullying.org. They provide very good information and they also are working to pass the Healthy Workplace Bill. As you can see below, no laws have been enacted yet. There is much research and work to be done on the issue of adult bullying.

25 States since 2003 have introduced the HWB -- No laws yet enacted
11 states with 15 bills active

 

The National Education Association just published this blog on bullying in the workplace for educators. 

http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2013/06/nea-provides-educators-with-guidance-on.html

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