We have a responsibility to all young people to create communities that foster and nurture them. We have a duty as parents and as advocates for equality to do everything in our power to make sure that every single young person in Iowa feels safe when they come out as gay.
With the help of Iowa Safe Schools, we have put together this resource guide for parents, students, teachers, and community members. By working together and getting the necessary information to more people, we can help combat bullying.
What to do if you’re bullied
If you or your child is being bullied, here are the steps you need to take to address the situation immediately:
- Student/Parent/Guardian needs to immediately report it to the administration including a school counselor or principal. Report it by requesting the bullying report form, and fill it out including any evidence (Facebook pages, text messages, witness accounts, etc.)
- You may not know what happened to the students exhibiting bullying behavior due to student privacy laws so if the incidents stop, that is great. If bullying behavior continues, make sure the administration knows.
- If the administration fails to address the bullying behavior, go up the chain of command. Talk to the principal of your school. If that fails to remedy the problem, go to your School Superintendent. If that fails, go to your School Board. Finally, if your School Board has also failed contact the IA Civil Rights Commission to file a complaint against the school that is failing to comply with Iowa’s anti-bullying laws.
Click here for more information about the Iowa Safe Schools Law
What is important is making sure you report the bullying to your school immediately. If you have friends who want to help, have them wait until you or your parents report the bullying first.
Again, remember that you may not know exactly what happened to the student(s) who were bullying you, but remember to check in with counselors and teachers if you need support after reporting the bullying behavior.
If you’d like to know the number of bullying incidents in your school district, click here.
Organizations
The Trevor Project
If you or someone you know is being bullied and needs someone to talk to, call The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386.
Iowa Safe Schools
Special thanks to Iowa Safe Schools for helping to put this resource page together.
Iowa Pride Network
Contact IPN to get a Gay-Straight Alliance started at your school.
YourLifeIowa.org
Iowa solution to bullying and suicide prevention
Phone number: 1-855-581-8111
No Name Calling Week
Curriculum and additional information
StopBullying.Gov
Federal government resources
StopBullyingNow.com
Great resources from researcher Stan Davis
National Day of Silence
Great information on National Day of Silence
Anti-Defamation League
Resources for combating cyber-bullying and religious bullying
GLSEN
Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network
ReportBullying.com
A resource from The Eychaner Foundation.
A Call to Stop Bullying
Special thanks to Kaylie for helping to find this anti-bullying resource!
Over the past decade, the world of learning and education has become steadily more immersed in the technology available to our modern society. From elementary school students using laptops in class, to collegiate learning taking place online, students are plugging in, signing on, and becoming ever more engaged in the digital and cyber world. While the tight-knit relationship between education and technology has afforded some incredible learning opportunities, like in the burgeoning world of online college educations, as technology penetrates younger and younger demographics, certain social problems become apparent: Namely, cyberbullying. The frequency with which kids and teens are being bullied online has risen at an alarming rate. Kids are gaining access to cell phones, social media, and general communication platforms at ever earlier ages, and when this access is used to harm rather than help, the consequences can be dire. As today’s generation is spending more time learning and interacting online, it’s especially important to tackle these social issues before they progress further and carry into college and adult life.
“Cyberbullying: The New Online Crime”
http://www.grabellaw.com/
The following infographic examines the extreme prevalence of cyberbullying at many ages, as well as the frightening way it may impact adolescents if people don’t begin to speak out against it.
Source: OnlineCollege.org
