Bullying in School January 2012-December 2012: Inservice Education (IE)

Bullying is a serious problem in schools and children on the Autism spectrum are particularly at risk of being victimized if they display "different' behavior, such as not understanding rules, having bad handwriting or flapping their hands. This 30-minute DVD describes the various types of peer abuse and the devastating consequences, such as poor self-esteem, low academic achievement, depression, or even suicide. The film includes the stories of three individuals with Asperger's syndrome who talk about their experiences of being bullied. It stresses the importance of peer intervention, empathetic teachers, and verbal self-defense and shows how lack of teacher support, condemning of "tale telling," or even blaming the victim reinforces bullying.

This ia a CD and powerpoint presentation of an audio conference address bullying in elementary, middle and high schools. The audio conference is 90 minutes long and presents a wide range of issues about bullies, victims and the dynamics between them. Bullying is defined as are specifics of emotional, physical and relational bullying. Characteristics and behaviors to look for in students and guidelines for responding to individuals and situations are presented. Research indicates differences between bullying at different grade levels. The program also discusses the high prevalence of bullying, warning signs, social consequences and how to involve all staff in bullying prevention and intervention.

This kit includes a 27 page guide, a 141 page trainer's manual, 45 training cards and a video kept in a lunchbox. It provides a comprehensive training program aimed at providing educators and community members with the background knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to make schools safer and more affirming places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students.

Decades of research have shown that there are ways to stop bullying and that 50% reductions in rates of bullying are achievable. The Stop Bullying Now resource kit was developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration and is based on the work of many researchers in bullying prevention and intervention. It includes 29 handouts which include fact sheets on a range of topics and resources, along with a CD-ROM with a PDF of the handouts. An activity guide with suggestions for schools and communities is also included.