Bullying Resources

The topic of bullying has received a great deal of attention in recent months. To assist your efforts in addressing this issue, we wish to make you aware of several organizations, programs and resources available to your school. Please click on the links below for contact information and additional information about each organization. Please do not hesitate to contact these organizations or the MIAA staff if we can be of assistance to your school, staff, or students.

School Law Note - Bullying Requirements and Timeline
http://www.miaa.net/school-law-note-bullying.pdf

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Commissioner's Update - June 11, 2010

Anti-Hazing School Memo - June 1, 2010
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Anti-Hazing Law
Student Group Anti-Hazing Form
Secondary School Annual Anti-Hazing Report

Anti-Defamation League – New England Region
http://regions.adl.org/new-england/
617-406-6300

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Month is an opportunity for Massachusetts schools to sponsor initiatives in May 2010 that build bridges of understanding, protect civil rights, and/or empower members of the school community to become allies for those who are targeted with bullying, cyberbullying and other hurtful behaviors. All pre-K – 12 public, private and parochial schools in Massachusetts are eligible to apply for a one-time grant of up to $250.00. Grant requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Due to a limited number of available grants, grants will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis. For more information on A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Month, please contact 617-912-3893 or go to: http://regions.adl.org/new-england/events/a-world-of-difference-month.html

Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/marc/
Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center
Bridgewater State College
Maxwell Library 201
Bridgewater, MA 02325
508-531-1784
marc@bridgew.edu

Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) has been awarded Safe & Drug Free Schools funding from the Office of Public Safety, to offer 10 free parent presentations within the state of Massachusetts. All schools in Massachusetts are eligible. Presentations are on a first come, first serve basis. These presentations:

1.        1.   Can ONLY cover Bullying and Cyberbullying or Girls and Cyberbullying (no other topics)
2.        Will be presented by a MARC Parent/Community Educator (not by Dr. Englander)
3.        Must be scheduled between September 1, 2010 and May 1, 2011
For more information, please contact debraatmarc@gmail.com

Sport in Society
http://www.northeastern.edu/sportinsociety/
Sport in Society
360 Huntington Avenue
Suite 510 INV
Boston MA 02115
617-373-4025
sportinsociety@neu.edu

Last week’s Boston Globe Magazine ran a cover story regarding bullying and the most effective strategies for prevention (click here for the story). The bullying curriculum highlighted in the article was developed by Northeastern University’s Sport in Society, a worldwide leader in curriculum regarding violence prevention and diversity. This curriculum employs the bystander approach that has been very effective in the 25 year history of delivering Sport in Society’s Mentors in Violence Prevention program which addresses all issues related to gender violence. The anti-bullying curriculum featured in the Globe has had outstanding success in response in response both from practitioner and from students. This training is available to your school as both a teaching strategy and a leadership initiative that addresses the root of bullying and offers strategies for both students and teachers. If you would like to have Steve Tower, who is featured in the article and who works for Sport in Society and is outplaced at MGH, or other trainers who are certified in the curriculum implement this training at your school, please contact Jarrod Chin at 617-373-8420 or j.chin@neu.edu.

Yubbie Foundation
http://www.yubbiefoundation.org/
467 Springdale Road
Westfield, MA 01085
413-562-2299
info@yubbiefoundation.org
jwojcik@yubbiefoundation.org

The founder and Executive Director Joe Wojcik breathed life into the Foundation through his passion to make a difference. He is a powerful motivational speaker, delivering messages of hope and possibility. He shares profound insights, perspectives and education through seminars and keynote speaking engagements. A victim of bullying in his youth, Joe’s life journey drew him into substance abuse as a young man. A debilitating automobile accident in his early thirties became a life-altering experience. Joe persevered through a seventeen year healing process that included a physical, psychological and spiritual transformation. Drawing upon his experiences, Joe today addresses bullying and its long-term effects, the power of nurturing in parenthood, overcoming adversity, and fulfilling purpose.

Skills and Strategies for Successfully
Investigating Complaints and Reports of Harassment
and Bullying in Schools
MSSAA Summer Institute 2010 Pre-Conference
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sea Crest Resort, North Falmouth, MA

Conference Flyer - http://www.mssaa.org/flyer-successful-investigations-7-27-10-web.pdf
Click here to register online - http://www.mssaa.org/confregform.htm
MSSAA Summer Institute Information - http://www.mssaa.org/flyer-web-SIFY11.pdf

This workshop will take place as part of the MSSAA Summer Institute 2010 Pre-Conferences. Richard Cole, Civil Rights and Safe Schools Consultant and former Assistant Attorney General and Civil Rights Division Chief, Massachusetts Office of Attorney General, will conduct this interactive training. The workshop is designed for school professionals to learn about the legal and practical requirements for successfully investigating and making determinations in response to reports or complaints of harassment and bullying in schools and school-related activities, including in cyberspace. For more information, please click on the links provided above.

Empowering Schools, Communities and Families to Stop Bullying
http://www.miaa.net/student-services/empowering-schools.pdf
CLICK HERE FOR THE EVENT PROGRAM
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

The goals of this conference are to share knowledge and approaches for addressing and preventing bullying, to identify resources, and to facilitate networking in schools, communities and with families. There is no cost to attend this conference, but you must register by Friday, June 4^th. Click on the link above for additional information or click here to register online.

Click here for the program:

Preparing For the New Bullying Prevention Law:
A Day for Administrators
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/marc/flyer june 23.pdf
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Worcester Technical High School

http://webhost.bridgew.edu/marc/flyer june 30.pdf

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Bridgewater State College - Moakley Center

Topics for this workshop will include:
·          Drafting new policies and procedures
·          Reviewing sample MOA’s with police departments
·          Identifying criminal behaviors and reporting requirements
·          Dealing with cyberbullying and First Amendment issues
·          Partnering effectively with parents of victims and bullies
·          Exploring low-cost and no-cost staff training options

Direct From the Field: A Guide to Bullying Prevention
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/violence/bullying_prevent_guide.pdf

This guide was developed to help you create a bullying prevention program that meets the needs of your site, your teachers, your students, and their families. Many research-based bullying prevention programs exist, and while information has been drawn from these resources and their insights, this guide goes beyond the simple matching of a site to a pre-packaged program. Discussions with educators across the Commonwealth has shown that some of the best solutions to bullying and its destructive consequences are home-grown. This guide includes the collective wisdom of schools across Massachusetts that have discovered ways to make the culture of their classrooms and schools one of caring and respect. From their failings and successes comes the body of knowledge presented here.

Other Resources
www.stopbullyingnow.com
Attorney General’s Office Website