New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention. Update. In the past almost- two years (5/1. Stuart Green has continued to field calls from parents of bullied children, an average of one a day, as well as calls from schools, lawyers, media, other organizations, etc., providing information on bullying, most of which is available on the website. This includes, on the home page, a 4- 5 page guidance document for parents, as well as the Coalition's three advisory documents covering in details key aspects of bullying, the third document developed last year with Dr Paula Rodriguez- Rust covering bullying and LGBT issues.- Several more letters have appeared in the Times, an op- ed in the Star Ledger, and presentations have been given at various conferences. Notably SG and Coalition Research Advisor Dr Michael B. Greene have developed the idea of suggesting that inadequately addressed bullying in schools be regarded as institutional child neglect. A presentation on this was given at last year's annual Child Advocacy conference, in NJ, and another presentation on it is being given this May at NASW- NJ's annual meeting. SG and MBG have also continued to pursue opportunities to critique the inadequate violence assessment process in NJ, including the EVVR and also DOE's newly proposed grading scheme for schools, which we consider impossibly flawed (relying as it does entirely on school administrator self- report).- SG has extended his expert witness role for lawyers bringing bullying- related lawsuits. Other Coalition members - e. Michael Greene and Paula Rodriguez- Rust - have also taken such cases.- The 2. August ICLE bullying and law conferences were very well attended and received. Another one (August 2. Each show features an interview with a guest expert, with a wide range of well known experts on bullying and school climate having appeared already.- SG has developed with Kean University's Counseling program an agreement to present in October 2. An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to bullying and other matters. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BULLYING REPORT: HOW ARE WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOLS DOING? By Lauren Hafner, researcher for The Washington State PTA and The Safe Schools Coalition. Bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone. Help stop bullying at school, online, and in the community. For more information, visit StopBullying.gov. NJ conference focused solely on the critically important work of Stan Davis. For information, contact Elizabeth Athos of ELC. The Education Law Center's (and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice's) Coalition- associated pro bono law project has now handled several cases on behalf of families (of children bullied at school) who would not otherwise have been able to hire private attorneys for advocacy or lawsuits. 4/11/07 Update: (1) A guide for schools was published in 2006 by a state of Maine government commission and made available to everyone today by the Equity national. Bullying incidents should be reported through the school’s chain of command or to the policy indicated. What is the Impact of Bullying? For children who are bullied: Children who are bullied are more likely than their peers to be depressed, lonely, and anxious; have low. Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest public school system in the United States and the second largest in the state of Florida. Bullying prevention resources you need to be a better principal. No Place for Bullying Principals must take the lead in creating an atmosphere where. An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools. Lesson plans for each grade help schools implement programs with. All schools should help their students meet their. The cases have all been settled, with favorable outcomes for the families. Talks have been given in a number of venues, including at the annual meeting of the National Association of Social Workers - NJ; for the state learning disabilities consultants organization; for counselors at a partner/family violence project; for the Newark School District's annual parent meeting (attended by about 5. NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders; a talk for students and faculty of Yeshiva University's School of Social Work; trainings for school staff at Montclair State University's Center for Child Advocacy; and talks in other venues and for other organizations scheduled. The next Coalition meeting takes place June 7th at NJ Law Center (registration closed). The meeting will feature a dialogue between Prof. Maurice Elias of Rutgers, a leading national (and international) expert on school climate, and Stan Davis, one of the country's leading anti- bullying advocates, moderated by Stuart Green. The dialogue will be videorecorded, with the hope of editing sections of it for wider distribution (e. You. Tube and other venues), including making it available to legislators and leaders who wish an informal authoritative orientation to bullying issues. Stuart Green is organizing the second of a series of annual legal conferences on bullying for NJ's Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), to take place on August 8th at NJ Law Center, 8: 3. ICLE charges $2. 00 for attendance (including breakfast and lunch), with some discounts for organizations available. Registration is still open. The conference will feature Jeffrey Youngman, the lawyer who obtained the $4. Sawyer Rosenstein in the Ramsey School District case; Jeffrey Tanenbaum, who was involved in the Cherry Hill case of teacher bullying; Luanne Peterpaul of Garden State Equality on challenges and changes to the anti- bullying bill of rights; Hester Agudosi of the Attorney General's office on police and prosecutor perspectives on bullying; Estelle Bronstein of Division on Civil Rights on bias- based bullying; Leisa- Anne Smith of NJ State Bar Foundation on trainings for school staff; Elizabeth Athos of Education Law Center on the pro bono law project; Maurice Elias of Rutgers on what schools should be doing; Dave Rubin of the Bar Association's School Law Committee on ethical issues in addressing school bullying; Michael Kaliber of the School Boards Association on school administrative and board perspectives in bullying cases; and a panel (Stuart Green, Michael Greene, and Paula Rodriguez- Rust) discussing expert witness issues in bullying cases. The challenge to the Anti- Bullying Bill of Rights via the appeal to the Council on Local Mandates has been met by the Legislature and Governor, with the law having been revised in two ways: $1 million has been appropriated to the law's Bullying Prevention Fund, to assist with the cost of trainings; and a Task Force has been created to make recommendations to promote the law's implementation. The make- up of the Task Force (seven members, 4 appointed by the Governor, 3 by the Legislature) is of course the critical issue. So far, it looks as if the Task Force will be well appointed. One of the announced members is Dr. Brad Lerman of Rutgers, an active Coalition participant. Other appointments have been of some concern, the concern being that some members may not sufficiently advocate for and reflect the concerns of mistreated children and their families, and instead prioritize the needs and preferences of school administrators. In the end, we are hopeful that the make- up of the Task Force will reflect an advocacy perspective in its majority, which is the most we can realistically expect. The Coalition's Expert Advisory Group has now issued (only) two documents, one in September, another in January. The first was an overview of the bullying problem and how to address it, the second was on bullying of children with 'disabilities'. A third document, on bullying of lesbian, gay and transgender (and other) children is being finalized now and will be widely distributed shortly. A 4th document, on bullying in early childhood, is still in early draft form. The Group is behind its desired schedule, of issuing a new document every two months. The group, which has over 2. NJ's colleges and universities (Princeton is so far a notable omission, though it has been invited), is meeting on June 7th at the NJ Law Center. New Project! A new program started by Education Law Center (ELC), with Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, with the involvement of the Coalition: Pro Bono Law Project (for bullying cases). This project was envisioned by the Coalition ten years ago but the time has never been right until now, and ELC deserves all credit for getting it done! The project involves providing free training on bullying for lawyers who agree to devote pro bono (charity) time to families who need legal representation to bring lawsuits against schools in which their children have been hurt (bullied - repeatedly assaulted and terrorized over months or years, with schools having failed to prevent or adequately respond). Dozens of lawyers attended the training conducted Nov 2. Rutgers Institute for Professional Education. See the attached notice for the training. One case is already underway, more to follow. A related project (to begin shortly) involves providing training for expert witnesses who agree to provide service on a pro bono basis. Pro Bono law project. Update: Where we are now: As of today (1. Anti- Bullying Bill of Rights in NJ. Schools are going through an adjustment period. In the absence of sufficient DOE guidance, law firms stepped in to fill the vacuum. Given a surfeit of advice from lawyers in addition to their own nervous reaction to the law, schools have generally engaged in an overly legalistic overreaction to the letter of the law, similar to a physician practicing defensive (as opposed to patient- centered) medicine, thereby overburdening themselves while not focusing on the spirit of the law (protecting, supporting, including, engaging, connecting with kids). This behavior is normal in an adjustment period, though dysfunctional. Flames have predictably been fanned by organizations representing school administrators who, at the same time they state their recognition of the importance of the issue the law addresses, complain vociferously about the law and the burdens they feel it imposes. For one thing, the law was not written to make life simpler or easier for school administrators (with the uncertain benefits which administrative simplicity or ease might then convey to children). The law was written to honor and respond to the needs and perspectives of bullied children and their families, and the community advocacy organizations which represent them. The law requires of educators that which no educators should need a law to spur them to provide. It is not possible to be an educator worthy of the name - or to have a school worthy of that name - without protecting, supporting, including, engaging and connecting with children. Further, this is the third law the NJ legislators have had to pass on this issue, mainly because schools did not respond adequately to the intent, spirit or letter of the previous two laws. The 2. 00. 2 law asked schools to develop anti- bullying policies and implement the approaches to bullying those policies described.
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