Anti-bullying Week 2010

This is an exciting time of year—the whole country is working on the problem of bullying and that should lead to lots of innovation. We are always thrilled to see the creative ideas originated by young people and their schools. And we’ve got some resources that can come in handy wherever and whoever you are.

It’s been 25 years since Kidscape was founded, so we are especially conscious of how far we have all come in this quarter century. There was certainly no anti-bullying week then!

In fact, most people reacted to the idea of bullying with a shrug, dismissing it as “part of childhood”, even good for the child who was targeted. We know that isn’t true—in fact, some of us are still carrying the marks of being bullied long ago, and not the marks that are visible.

It took much public discussion and experiment to find a way to help schools and communities find a way to stop the bullying cycles, and, though we know there’s always room for improvement, there are promising projects all over the country, with young people often leading the way.

This year, we are again concentrating on cyberbullying, which seems to be as fast paced in its development as the technological revolution that drives it. You’ll find lots of information on our website as well as fundraisingideas for anti-bullying week.

We’re hoping to raise money this year for our next quarter century. Take a look at the 25 for 25 section for some more ideas, and help us make sure that anti-bullying action is not just for November, but an all-year round goal.

And keep us posted on your activities!

Claude Knights, Kidscape Director