skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Educators preserve, shape future with 'ALT NEW COLLEGE'; NY appeals court denies delay for Trump civil fraud trial; Michigan coalition gets cash influx to improve childcare.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A House Committee begins its first hearing in the Biden impeachment inquiry, members of Congress talk about the looming budget deadline and energy officials testify about the Maui wildfires.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A small fire department in rural Indiana is determined not to fail new moms and babies, the growing election denial movement has caused voting districts to change procedures and autumn promises spectacular scenery along America's rural byways.

Bullying Prevention Month Brings Awareness to Victims, Perpetrators

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 27, 2022   

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and experts are reminding Marylanders to be aware of the patterns within bullying.

The National Center for Education Statistics said one in five students reports being bullied. With the rise of online interaction among students cyberbullying has come to the forefront as a problem, but experts say there is frequently an offline component to bullying.

Maryland criminalized cyberbullying in 2013 and strengthened the law in 2019, increasing the penalties, and reducing the burden on victims in proving bullying is happening.

Jan Helson, co-founder and board chair of the Global Game Changers Children's Education Initiative, a nonprofit focused on social-emotional learning, said building confidence and empathy are key in helping to prevent bullying.

"If you build a child's core where they feel confident about themselves and who they are, and have empathy for others, then it helps to avoid bullying in the first place," Helson asserted.

Students who are bullied are at a higher risk for depression, anxiety and sleep problems, along with lower academic achievement and dropping out of school.

Research suggests school-based anti-bullying programs decrease bullying by 20%. No matter the approach, Helson emphasized it is important for students to remain in dialogue with parents and teachers.

"Whether it's a teacher communicating with students, or whether it's a parent communicating is to really stress the importance of opening up that dialogue and providing your child a safe space and looking for those signs, whether they are the victim or the bully," Helson outlined. "Parents have to be open-minded to both sides of that."

Helson explained the root cause of bullying often is the bully's own insecurity, and noted it is helpful to consider the inner life of the bully.

"What is it about their background? I think having children understand and have empathy that maybe that bully has something going on in their life that they have no control over," Helson advised. "It's a way of them feeling like they have control of something, making them feel bigger than others."

She added empathy for the bully does not mean accepting their behavior, but giving students insight into the lives of others may help break down the barriers with bullies.


get more stories like this via email

Social Issues

play sound
more stories
Michigan is among 20 states to receive a multiyear grant from the Pritzker Children's Initiative. (SneakyPeakPoints/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The coalition known as "Think Babies Michigan" has secured more than $36 million in funding to offer grants to child-care providers for infants and to…


Social Issues

play sound

Nearly 100 school board elections are coming up in Minnesota this fall, with some gaining attention because of the candidates who are running…

Social Issues

play sound

The so-called conservative "hostile takeover" of a small, progressive liberal arts college in Florida is seeing some resistance from former students …


Only 546 of the tenants in the the 5,563 eviction cases filed in Nebraska in the first half of 2023 were represented by legal counsel. (tab62/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

High rent prices are draining the budgets of many Nebraska renters, who are paying between 30% and 50% of their income on rent. In some parts of the …

Social Issues

play sound

As the federal government nears a shutdown over a budget impasse in Congress, Wisconsin offices that help low-income individuals worry they'll have …

Lewiston, Idaho, sits on the Snake River at the border with Washington. (Guy Sagi/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indigenous leaders are traveling through the Northwest to highlight the plight of dwindling fish populations in the region. The All Our Relations …

Social Issues

play sound

Washington performs well in a new report scoring states' long-term care systems. The Evergreen State ranked second in AARP's Long-Term Services and …

Social Issues

play sound

A lack of housing options, mental-health challenges and a lack of connections and support have combined to drive an uptick in the number of foster …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021