On March 10, 2011 the US government set up an anti-bullying policy making principals responsible for students’ activities on and off school property including social media. There are some privacy concerns with this policy but in my opinion I believe that students should refrain from bullying behavior always, regardless if it's within the walls of the school or not. The fact that this issue was addressed by a Federal government signifies how important it is that we never sweep this under the rug and the the role social media plays within the lives of our youth of today.
The other day I was sent a “you tube” file that showed one boy being filmed while he bullied another boy that was seemed to be irritated by the situation. It wasn’t a surprise to see the boy being bullied retaliate and physically harm the boy bullying. Some would say that it’s the best way to deal with a person who is bullying, however there are a lot of negative consequences that could arise from that reaction. The actual bullying situation didn’t bother me as much as the bystanders that stood around to see this happening and do nothing to change the situation, even going as far as to film it on an electronic device. The unfortunate truth is that there aren’t any kids using an electronic device to show the internet world someone saving someone from a bad situation.
As we continuosly take players and cheerleaders to schools in the GTA we hope that we can make a difference in one child life that maybe that person that refuses to allow someone to be mistreated. Many people don’t even know about the number of students we have affected mainly because that’s not the information that is published or talked about in public. It is extremely rewarding to hear a school tell us how students talked about the issue of bullying after we have left the school because that tells me that the awareness part of our campaign is working. Not to mention the countless stories from kids via e-mails and schools sending us testimonials. In fact, at a couple of presentations a few students spoke up as to how they were currently being bullied and in some cases almost to a state of extreme depression. The good news is that schools are addressing these situations, the bad news is we need to hear more of the good news to diminish the bad.
Our latest addition to our facebook page the”Huddle Up” tab, will hopefully be the platform and voice students need. Each and every player that has shared his personal stories from the past and present such as Adrion Smith to Ricky Foley is always rewarded to hear how their message has been echoed in the halls and online. In fact, it was never unusual for a student to yell out the acronym “R.A.R.E” which was given to them at an assembly by Adrion Smith. This is the kind of thing that keeps our programs and players desire to be involved so strong. My hope is that we have more people using the internet tools such as our Facebook tab, as the voice of positivity and guidance instead of a weapon of bullying. Please help us by liking us on Facebook and demonstrating that our efforts are not in vain.
“Make your passion your Life and No one can take that away.
The other day I was sent a “you tube” file that showed one boy being filmed while he bullied another boy that was seemed to be irritated by the situation. It wasn’t a surprise to see the boy being bullied retaliate and physically harm the boy bullying. Some would say that it’s the best way to deal with a person who is bullying, however there are a lot of negative consequences that could arise from that reaction. The actual bullying situation didn’t bother me as much as the bystanders that stood around to see this happening and do nothing to change the situation, even going as far as to film it on an electronic device. The unfortunate truth is that there aren’t any kids using an electronic device to show the internet world someone saving someone from a bad situation.
As we continuosly take players and cheerleaders to schools in the GTA we hope that we can make a difference in one child life that maybe that person that refuses to allow someone to be mistreated. Many people don’t even know about the number of students we have affected mainly because that’s not the information that is published or talked about in public. It is extremely rewarding to hear a school tell us how students talked about the issue of bullying after we have left the school because that tells me that the awareness part of our campaign is working. Not to mention the countless stories from kids via e-mails and schools sending us testimonials. In fact, at a couple of presentations a few students spoke up as to how they were currently being bullied and in some cases almost to a state of extreme depression. The good news is that schools are addressing these situations, the bad news is we need to hear more of the good news to diminish the bad.
Our latest addition to our facebook page the”Huddle Up” tab, will hopefully be the platform and voice students need. Each and every player that has shared his personal stories from the past and present such as Adrion Smith to Ricky Foley is always rewarded to hear how their message has been echoed in the halls and online. In fact, it was never unusual for a student to yell out the acronym “R.A.R.E” which was given to them at an assembly by Adrion Smith. This is the kind of thing that keeps our programs and players desire to be involved so strong. My hope is that we have more people using the internet tools such as our Facebook tab, as the voice of positivity and guidance instead of a weapon of bullying. Please help us by liking us on Facebook and demonstrating that our efforts are not in vain.
“Make your passion your Life and No one can take that away.
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