1. March 15, 2011
The Classroom Chronicles
Obama's Focus on Anti-bullying Efforts
WASHINGTON — President Carl Walker-Hoover in To disseminate information from
Obama poked fun at his own big Massachusetts; their families the government, the president
ears and funny name on Thursday, have since become advocates announced a new Web site,
but all in the service of a serious for bullying prevention. Page StopBullying.gov. In October, the
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subject as he and Michelle Obama Education Department‘s Office of
opened a White House conference The conference, at a time when Page TitleRights sent educators a
Civil
to spur anti-bullying efforts in the president and his advisers letter explaining their legal duties
schools and communities are dealing with budget fights in to protect students from bullying
President Obama and his wife, Page Title
Michelle, met with students and
nationwide. Congress and upheaval in the based on race, ethnicity, disability
parents on Thursday in the Oval Office Middle East, underscored the or sexuality. In December,
as part of an anti-bullying conference. ―If there‘s one goal of this power of the presidency and the
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Education Secretary Arne
conference, it‘s to dispel the myth presidential residence in raising Duncan, who heads the
that bullying is just a harmless rite awareness of issues. It also Page Title
administration‘s efforts, sent
of passage or an inevitable part of highlighted the steps that can guidance to state officials on
growing up,‖ Mr. Obama told address those issues, short of Page Title
resources and best practices.
about 150 students, parents, legislation, regulations or
teachers and advocates of executive orders. Mr. Obama singled out several
Volume 1, Issue 1
prevention measures gathered in young people at the conference.
the East Room.― ―You have a partner in the Among them were two sisters,
White House,‖ Mr. Obama said. Sarah and Emily Buder of
With big ears and the name that I California; they read about a girl
have, I wasn‘t immune,‖ he In separate sessions after the with epilepsy who was taunted at
added. ―I didn‘t emerge Obama's left, participants a school in another town, and
unscathed.‖ shared approaches on how to encouraged their friends to write
prevent, recognize and punish her letters of support.
While Mr. Obama elicited bullying, including harassment .Ultimately the girl received
chuckles with that memory, he on social-networking Web sites. thousands of letters from all over
and other participants also the country, which became the
recalled examples from more The conference was an basis of an antibullying book,
recent and tragic stories of young outgrowth of an effort among ―Letters to a Bullied Girl.‖
Inside this issue: people who killed themselves six cabinet agencies that began
rather than endure further abuse last August with a session at the (An Excerpt from The New York
Times)
New Jersey Cracks Down on 2 from classmates, often for being Education Department to
gay or for being thought to be gay. promote cooperation between
Cyber bullying 3 government and
The audience included relatives of nongovernment players,
Can Meditation Help 3-4
two 11-year-old boys who had including the National PTA and
Cyber bullying & You 5 committed suicide in the last two MTV.
years, Ty Field in Oklahoma and

2. The Classroom Chronicles
Page 2
New Jersey Cracks Down on Bullying
New Jersey on Thursday year, lists harassment,
what role the video may have
enacted the nation’s toughest intimidation or bullying as grounds
played in Mr. Clementi’s suicide,
law against bullying and for suspension or even expulsion
news coverage of the episode
harassment in schools, three from school. It applies to public
gave added impetus to efforts to
and a half months after the schools, and portions of it apply to
enact laws against bullying and
suicide of a Rutgers University public colleges.
harassment. A Rutgers University
student drew national attention (pictured above)
to the issue. A bill had been in the works since student committed
“No question, that tragedy and a suicide after
2009, but it gained momentum
Volume 1, Issue 1
string of other suicides in the fall
Page Title harassment at school.
The law spells out a long list of last fall. It passed both houses of
by school kids gave it
requirements, including the the Legislature on Nov. 22, with
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momentum,” said State Senator
appointment of specific people just one dissenting vote, and Gov.
Barbara Buono, Democrat of
in each school and district to Chris Christie signed it into law on Page Title
Middlesex County, a prime
run anti-bullying programs; the Thursday. The New Jersey School
Page Title
sponsor of the bill. “The idea is
investigation of any episodes Boards Association endorsed the
just to make the climate of
starting within a day after they law, concluding that schools could Page Title “This is one of the
school one of tolerance and
occur; and training for largely carry it out with existing
respect.” great civil rights
teachers, administrators and resources. Page Title
school board members.
laws in New Jersey
Forty-five states have laws
Superintendents must make “This is one of the great civil rights history…”
against bullying, and New Jersey
public reports twice a year laws in New Jersey history, and to
has had one since 2002,
detailing any episodes in each have a fairly conservative
including a 2007 amendment
school, and each school will Republican governor sign it sends
covering cyberbullying. New
receive a letter grade to be a resounding signal to other
Jersey becomes the fifth state to
posted on its Web site. states,” said Steven Goldstein,
adopt a new law in the past
chairman and chief executive of
year; New York was among the
The law, which goes into effect Garden State Equality, a gay rights
others.
at the start of the next school group, who was involved in
drafting the law. “It’s also a major
“Other states have bits and
achievement for bipartisan
pieces of what this New Jersey
governance in New Jersey.”
law has, but none of them is as
Sarah Warbelow,; state
legislative director at the Human broad, getting to this level of
On Sept. 22, Tyler Clementi, a
Rights Campaign detail, and requiring them, step
freshman at Rutgers, jumped to
by step, to do the right thing for
his death from the George
students,” said Sarah Warbelow,
Washington Bridge; three days
state legislative director at the
earlier, officials have said, his
Human Rights Campaign, a
roommate surreptitiously
national gay rights group. Many
streamed video of him in an
states, she said, do not even
intimate encounter with another
offer the protections of the
man. While it remains unclear
2002 New Jersey law, which

3. Page 3
Cyber bullying
Young people are using the most often Need do Know:their
What Kids they to know What Parents Can Do
Internet more than ever and victims.
Never give out personal information Keep your home computer is a busy
most have Internet access
online, whether in instant message area of your house.
from home. For many
profiles, chat rooms, blogs, or Set up email and chat accounts with
children, the Internet isn't
personal websites. your children. Make sure that you
simply a convenient way to
Never tell anyone but your parents know their screen names and
A child victimized with cyber bullying research or a fun afterschool
after a video of her being attacked your password, even friends. passwords and that they don't include
was posted on the internet. activity - it's a big part of any personal information in their
If someone sends a mean or
their social life. Emailing and threatening message, don't respond. online profiles.
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chatting with friends are Save it or print it out and show it to Regularly go over their instant
children's most common an adult. Pagemessenger "buddy list" with them.
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online activities, after Never open emails from someone you Ask who each person is and how
studying and playing games. don't know or from someone you Pageyour children know him or her.
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But like many other social know is a bully. Print this list of commonly used
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situations, some kids bully Don't put anything online that you acronyms in instant messenger and
other kids online. wouldn't want your classmates to Pagechat rooms from the National Center
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see, even in email. for Missing and Exploited Children
and post it by your computer.
Cyber bullying is similar to Don't send messages when you're Page Title
―Don't send angry. Before clicking "send," ask Discuss cyber bullying with your
other types of bullying,
yourself how you would feel if children and ask if they have ever
messages when except it takes place online
received the message. experienced it or seen it happen to
you're angry. ― and through text messages
someone.
sent to cell phones. Cyber Help kids who are bullied online by
not joining in and showing bullying Tell your children that you won't
bullies can be classmates,
messages to an adult. blame them if they are cyber bullied.
online acquaintances, and Emphasize that you won't take away
Always be as polite online as you are
even anonymous users, but their computer privileges - this is the
in person.
main reason kids don't tell adults
when they are cyber bullied.
Can Meditation Help School Bullying?
School is often stressful for A recent report of frequent school. As educators seek The (US) National Center for
students who have a hard bullying in American schools ways to increase compassion Educational Statistics
has brought national attention and empathy among students, estimates that one third of
to the stressors commonly many are finding that students ages 12-18 are bullied
faced by teens—stressors that meditation offers promising, at school and online. In all
many parents and teachers are measurable results for tackling socio-economic levels,
unaware of. Society is the underlying stressors that schools are experiencing
struggling to understand how give rise to bullying. heightened security concerns
'atypical' adolescent peer and acts of violence.
pressure has escalated into The Problem of Bullying
vicious student behavior at High divorce rates among

4. The Classroom Chronicles
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… Can Meditation Help School Bullying?
parents, violent entertainment, Hundreds of public and
and drug abuse by youth— private schools throughout the A recent study, conducted by the
even the use of prescription US and around the world have University of Connecticut, found
anti-depressants—are benefited from a program of that 106 at-risk adolescents in
suspected of contributing to Quite Time, [1] where three high schools reduced levels
the problem. However, these students have the option to sit of stress, anxiety, hyperactivity,
factors are now being quietly for a few minutes or to and emotional problems when
recognized as symptoms of an practice meditation to relieve
underlying cause: the stress. ‗It‘s like a washing
epidemic of stress in our machine,' says Jody, a
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society. meditating student at a Detroit Page Title
high school previously
A promising solution: stress- plagued by violence. Page Title
free schools 'Disturbing thoughts wash
away.' Page Title
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… Can Meditation Help School Bullying? Page Title
practicing the
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Transcendental According to Dr. William Effective meditation can
Meditation technique over Stixroud, ―when the nervous also help strengthen
a period of four months at system becomes settled and children that are typically
―A promising school, as compared with quiet during meditation, the victims of bullying by
controls. [2] The TM stress response starts building self-esteem and
solution: stress-free
technique is an effortless, operating normally. As a resilience to stress. Research
schools.‖ non-religious meditation result, children are simply studies have demonstrated
that is easy for students to less impulsive.‖ The process that the TM technique not
learn and practice at of quieting the mind and only reduces stress, it
school or on their own. body through the increases inner happiness,
Transcendental Meditation and results in improved
technique increases flexibility, social ability,
coherence between the two and confidence. [4] When
hemispheres and the front adolescents practice
and the back part of the mediation they tend to find
brain. [3] ―More integrated approval from within rather
brain functioning improves than needing it from the
the ability in children to outside, which leads to
control their impulses,‖ says greater independence, less
Dr. Stixroud. ―They get in influence from peer
trouble less; they act pressure, and less abusive
Children participating in group
without thinking less; they behavior.
meditation.
can inhibit the tendency to
get distracted better.‖

5. Page 5
Are you a cyber bully?
Are you a cyber bully?
Often, people who are victims are also bullies. Before you feel too bad for yourself, take the quiz
below to find if you, too, are part of the cyber-bullying problem! Rate yourself on the following
point scale according to if, and how many times, you have done the below activities. Give yourself
0 points if you‘ve never done it, 1 point if you have done it 1 or 2 times, 2 points if you have done
it 3-5 times, 3 points if you have done it more than 5 times.
Have you ever...
___Signed on with someone else‘s screen name to gather info?
___Sent an e-mail or online greeting card from someone‘s account?
___Impersonated someone over IM or online? Page Title
___Teased or frightened someone over IM?
___Not told someone who you really are online, telling them to ―guess‖? Page Title
___Forwarded a private IM conversation or e-mail without the permission of the other person?
___Changed your profile or away message designed to embarrass or frighten someone?Title
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___Posted pictures or information about someone on a Web site without their consent?
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___Created an Internet poll, either over IM or on a Web site, about someone without their consent?
___Used information found online to follow, tease, embarrass or harass someone in person?
___Sent rude or scary things to someone, even if you were just joking? Page Title
___Used bad language online?
___Signed someone else up for something online without their permission? Page Title
___Used an IM or e-mail address that looked like someone else‘s?
___Used someone else‘s password for any reason without their permission?
___Hacked into someone else‘s computer or sent a virus or Trojan horse to them?
___Insulted someone in an interactive game room?
___Posted rude things or lies about someone online?
___Voted at an online bashing poll or posted to a guestbook saying rude or mean things?
Now calculate your total score:
0 – 5 Points: Cyber Saint
Congratulations! You‘re a cyber saint! Your online behavior is exemplary! Keep up the good work!
6-10 Points: Cyber Risky
Well, you‘re not perfect, but few people are. Chances are you haven‘t done anything terrible and
were just having fun, but try not to repeat your behaviors, since they are all offenses. Keep in mind
the pain that your fun might be causing others!
11-18 Points: Cyber Sinner
Your online behavior needs to be improved! You have done way too many cyber no-no‘s! Keep in
mind that these practices are dangerous, wrong, and punishable and try to be clean up that cyber
record!
More than 18: Cyber Bully
Put on the brakes and turn that PC/MAC/text-messaging device around! You are headed in a very
bad direction. You qualify, without doubt, as a cyber bully. You need to sign off and think about
where that little mouse of yours has been clicking before serious trouble results for you and/or your
victim(s), if it hasn‘t happened already!

6. The Classroom Chronicles
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“Children are our most valuable
resource. “
-Herbert Hoover