BlockParent exists to intervene and deter before bullying starts. Because bullying is rampant on our campuses and the culture of "he-say-she-say" seems to fuel it, there will be incidents in progress as we implement our services.

As we begin to reduce the number of bullying incidents and put the fire out of those that currently exist, it's important to encourage students to contribute their views and experiences with bullying or why they felt the need to start in the first place. Those involved on either side of the bullying can take leadership roles in school to promote respect and inclusion, communicate about bullying prevention with their peers, and help develop rules and policies.

For example:

• Sometimes children bully to fit in. These kids can benefit from participating in positive activities. Involvement in sports and clubs can enable them to take leadership roles and make friends without feeling the need to bully.
• Other times, kids act out because something else is going on at home, such as abuse or stress. They also may have been bullied at school or home themselves. These kids may require additional support, such as family counseling or mental health services.

Consequences that involve learning or building empathy can help prevent future bullying. For example, the kids who bully can:

• Lead class discussions about how to be a good friend.
• Write a story about the effects of bullying or benefits of teamwork.
• Role-play a scenario or make an assembly presentation about the importance of respecting others, the negative effects of gossip, or how to cooperate.
• Do a project about civil rights and bullying.
• Write a book report about bullying.
• Make posters for the school about cyberbullying and being smart online.

The goal is to help them see how their actions affect others. For example, the student can:

• Write a letter apologizing to the student who was bullied.
• Do good deeds for the person who was bullied or for others in the community.
• Clean up, repair, or pay for any property they damaged.
• Gain an understanding of Restorative Justice.

Bullying is an enormous problem, and we must all do our part to impact it. We cannot rely on school board, city, county, state or federal entities alone. We must do our part in small, incremental, yet consistent steps sand enforce our will.

Anyone can help kick start these approaches TODAY. If you are interested in joining us to make our schools and neighborhoods safer, please register here.