Letter to the Editor

January 23-29 is No Name Calling Week. What we know is that children and youth who are bullied need clear messages of support from adults. Although we want children to be strong and assertive so that they can stand up to those who bully, adults must realize that many children aren’t ready to do this. Adults play critical roles in helping children who are bullied and creating a healthy, safe climate in the community and within our schools.

As adults, we may feel uncertain about how to handle bullying when we see or hear it happening. Or we may respond in ways that don’t make the best use of the opportunity to teach a young person the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior. We could end up inadvertently promoting, rather than reducing bullying.

Go to http://bit.ly/zoxS1d for some tips to help respond more effectively on-the-spot and make the best use of the “teachable moment” with all students in our community and in our schools.

Here are some suggested lesson plans for Elementary Level - http://bit.ly/7UxtRi; Middle Level - http://bit.ly/qGNvU; and High School Lesson Plan

It's time to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate all kinds of name-calling and bullying in Curry County.

Gordon Clay
TheCitizensWhoCare.org