No one spoke on the abuses in foster care because foster kids have no civil rights.

Even though I have raised the issues of abuses and neglect in foster care to the Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, it seems the political volatility of the States child welfare systems clashes with the financial agendas of religious and political leaders.

As cryptic as this statement may be, we must wait to see if SCOTUS will entertain the question of whether children have civil rights.

Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference (CBC/ALC) Anti-Bullying Braintrust

Washington, DC
September 20, 2012

Speech of U.S. Department of Health & Human Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Thank you. I’m glad I could join you today.

We’re all here because we believe every child deserves a healthy start and a safe childhood. Every young person deserves the opportunity and the support to grow up strong and pursue his or her dreams.

This is our greatest hope as parents. But it’s also the best investment we can make in the future of our country.

That’s why over the last 3 years, this administration has made an unwavering commitment to our children.

We’ve invested in education giving incentives to states to innovate and improve school performance. And we’ve invested in quality child care and early education.

We’ve taken historic steps to protect kids from aggressive tobacco advertising. We’ve supported local public health programs that help young people get exercise and eat healthy. And we’ve worked with states to enroll those children who are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP but remain uninsured. As a result, even during tough economic times, more children have insurance today than ever before.

But if we want to make good on this progress, there is another important step we have to take. We need to make sure every child can grow up without intimidation, without violence, without fear in their lives.

When many of us were growing up, the attitude was that bullying was a rite of passage. Some people thought it made you tougher. Other people said: Just get through it and, you’ll be ok.

These ideas have stuck around. But what we know now is just how shortsighted they are. We know that bullying is not only dangerous in the moment, but the harm it does can last a lifetime.

Students involved in bullying are more likely to struggle in school, use drugs, and have physical and mental health issues that can linger well into adulthood. Young people who do the bullying also pay a price – they are more likely to be violent as adults and get involved in criminal activity.

Even bystanders, the young people who are witnesses to bullying, are more likely to become depressed, anxious, and feel unsafe at school. We also have research that shows that when Black and Hispanic youth are bullied, they’re more likely to suffer academically than their white peers.

So the truth is that just making it through bullying, doesn’t mean your child will be fine. What is even worse is that some do not even make it at all. We can only try to understand why some victims of bullying as young as 7 have felt so alone that they took their own lives. It is hard to imagine a bigger tragedy than someone at such precious age pushed so far beyond the reach of any help or hope.

And we need to do everything we can to prevent it.

The fact is that bullying is a serious public health issue. And it requires a serious public health response.

Bullying can happen in the locker room and the chat room -- on a crowded bus or an empty hallway -- in school and on facebook. It takes place anywhere and everywhere. And so, if we truly want to prevent and end bullying, we will have to mobilize entire communities against it.

Under President Obama we’ve taken historic steps to do exactly that. But we know we can’t do it alone. And to continue the momentum we’ve seen over the last few years, we need your continued support in three areas.

The first is to continue changing attitudes.

Programs like our Prevention Practices in Schools grant program ARE giving children positive social skills at a young age to prevent bullying and other risky behavior down the road.    
    

But adults also have a responsibly. We need to replace the old habits where  too many adults just turn their backs to bullying. Others may tell their kids to ‘knock it off,’ but leave it at that. They walk away and the bullying continues.

So, last month, together with the Ad Council, we launched a Public Service Campaign aimed at parents. The TV, print, and web ads encourage parents to talk to their kids about bullying, even if they are not directly involved, to change the climate of silent acceptance.

We have to work together to take apart the myths that say bullying is inevitable. just as important is the work we do next, to build up a culture where bullying can and must be prevented as early as possible.   

The second area we’re focusing on is putting more resources into people’s hands.

It can be hard to know where to start with a problem as far-reaching and complicated as bullying. That’s especially true if you’re a parent, teacher or principal looking for concrete steps you can take to protect your own kids in your own community. That’s why we’ve created a one-stop shop for bullying prevention tools at stopbullying.gov. Its resource database includes more than 100 tool-kits, fact sheets, articles and program directories.

For anyone who comes to you asking ‘where do I begin?’ this should be your starting point. There is a revamped section for kids. And for young people who might be thinking about hurting themselves, the website shows them where they can get immediate help.

Our goal is to give people the support they need to become bullying prevention leaders in their own communities.

Over the years, experts from our Department have gone out to communities where they have trained school staff, coaches, parents and youth about the best practices of bullying prevention.

But we were limited in how many people we could reach directly. We knew that bullying was taking place in nearly every community in America, and we didn’t have the resources to go everywhere.

We do however have the tools to empower community leaders with the expertise to train and lead their own colleagues and neighbors. That’s the idea behind the new Training Module we made available for the first time last month on Stopbullying.gov.

Over and over again we’ve heard from local leaders who say ‘I want to establish a bullying prevention plan for my community, but I don’t know where to begin.’ Now, they have a great place to begin. They can download this research-based training right from the website and adapt it to their community’s unique needs.

A third area we’re focusing on is gaining a better understanding of bullying.

For many years, our picture of bullying was limited to anecdotal evidence, and a scattering of state and local surveys. But we have had very few rigorous studies about the specific factors, including race and ethnicity, that may put youth at risk for bullying or the specific steps that can protect them.

So we’ve begun to change that.

Our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have incorporated bullying to its Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the agency’s biennial snapshot of schools across the country. With new questions in the survey, we have a national picture of how many students experience bullying in school and which communities are more likely to face these challenges.

But this isn’t just a one-time picture. As the survey is repeated every two years, we will be able to measure our progress.  And I’m hopeful that over time, that’s exactly what we’ll see.

I know many of you have been working on these issues for many years.  Bullying is not new.  These are behaviors that have been around a long time. They are attitudes that have been handed down from one generation to the next.              

The only way to change that for all of us to commit to changing a culture that too often says, “It’s not my responsibility.” We need to start by handing down new values.

They are values that say we are all responsible for building and keeping a safe community. When you witness bullying you have an obligation to say something and get help. No one deserves to be hurt or intimidated. And no one can afford to be a bystander.

As a mother, I have seen the awful power of bullying on young people. And I know that any parent would move heaven and earth to defend her child from the pain and fear a bully might cause. Together, we can build a nation, where every single child, no matter who she is or where he lives, gets that same protection and support.

Thank you.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

COPS Cyber-Bullying Webinar

Cyber-Bullying Webinar - July 29, 2011

Date: Friday, July 29, 2011
Time: 2:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern Time
Description: The use of technology is quickly becoming the primary means of bullying and harassment, particularly among adolescents. Text and picture messaging through cell phones and instant messaging via the Internet have led to an explosion in bullying, harassment and other exploitive behaviors on-line. The immediacy and relative anonymity of the Internet creates an illusion of safety for the perpetrator and no safe haven for the victim, while increasing the overall likelihood of impulsive and inappropriate sharing of words and images.

During this COPS sponsored webinar, Andrew Yeager and Lieutenant Joe Rampolla will:

• Detail the current trends in cyber-bullying, harassment and victimization, particularly as they relate to adolescent development
• Explore how the blending of technology and adolescent development creates a potent and dangerous combination, leading to excessive risk-taking and the inability to control impulses and foresee consequences
• Discuss intervention strategies for law enforcement, school officials, parents, and students.

Andrew Yeager is a New Jersey state certified School Psychologist and Student Assistance Coordinator. His television appearances include CBS, NBC, FOX. and PBS.

Lieutenant Joseph Rampolla has been a law enforcement officer for sixteen years. He has taught all levels of law enforcement for the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. To register visit http://centipede.spcollege.edu/COPSWebinar/

President Obama & the First Lady Address Bullying

President Obama and the First Lady talk about bullying and the growing movement, led by young people, to make our communities places where young people can thrive. Their message comes ahead of the first-ever White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. http://stopbullying.gov

White House seeks child-speech oversight

Roughly 150 various advocates — lobbyists for gays and lesbians, legislators, White House officials, at least one cabinet secretary and the first lady — gathered around President’s Obama’s bully pulpit in the White House Thursday to cheer for increased government monitoring and intervention in Facebook conversations, in playgrounds and in schoolrooms around the country.

No officials at the televised East Room roll-out of the White House’s anti-bullying initiative suggested any limits to government intervention against juvenile physical violence, social exclusion or unwanted speech. None mentioned the usefulness to children of unsupervised play. None suggested there were any risks created by a government program to enforce children’s approval of other children who are unpopular, overweight, or who declare themselves to be gay, lesbians or transgender.

“It breaks our hearts to think that any child feels afraid every day in the classroom, on the playground, or even online,” first lady Michelle Obama said.

“We’re going to prevent bullying and create an environment where every single one of our children can thrive,” the president said, as he announced a series of government actions intended to fund, guide and pressure state and local officials to adopt regulations and programs that would shield children from insults or social-exclusion as well as from physical harm.

But the lethal risks of additional federal school-yard regulation will be underlined May 2 in a California courtroom. Brandon McInerney was 19 days past his 14th birthday, and living with his divorced father, when he murdered Larry King, by shooting him dead in a classroom, said McInerney’s lawyer, Scott Wippert.

In the pending trial, “the evidence we will introduce is that [King] was bullying and sexually-harassing” McInerney, with the tacit approval of school officials who excused the harassment as legitimate expression of a female “gender identity,” Wippert said. The approved sexual-harassment took place on the schoolyard, in front of other kids, and it included offers of sexual favors and precipitated taunts from other boys. “It was outrageous,” said Wippert. When school officials refused to discipline King, McInerney shot him in front of a teacher who had given him the dress he was wearing, he said.

If the situation turned out differently and McInerney had killed himself, the “focus would have been on the school [officials] for allowing the [sexually themed] bullying,” Wippert argued. But that’s not what happened, and the local district attorney is now trying McInerney as an adult and charging him with first-degree murder for shooting and killing King, which could put him away for the rest of his life, Wippert said.

Gay advocacy groups, principally the New York-based Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, argue that kids who may be gay or lesbian need protection from taunts and insults, as well as from already-illegal violence, and that schools should promote acceptance of homosexuality. “GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression [and it] seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community,” according to a statement from GLSEN, whose founder, Kevin Jennings, now heads the anti-bullying program at the Department of Education.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/11/white-house-seeks-child-speech-oversight/#ixzz1GovkRWkX

Michigan sophomore assisting White House anti-bullying forum

It is called assault and battery, not bullying.

Washington— A Michigan teen who was tormented by classmates is at the White House today to shed light on ways to prevent bullying and to make schools safer.

Ian Forster, a 16 year-old sophomore at Homer High School in Albion, is among 150 students, parents, teachers and advocates invited by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention.

Ian has multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy, epilepsy and paralysis on his right side. He has difficulty walking and climbing stairs and became a target for bullying starting in middle school, according to accounts from the Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service."If there's one goal of this conference, it's to dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It's not," President Obama said. "Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it's not something we have to accept."

While using a wheelchair following foot surgery, fellow students dumped Ian on the floor and broke his chair. Another time, students pushed Ian to the ground and used a chair to pin him to the ground, according to Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, which worked on behalf of Ian with school officials to prevent future harassment.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Ian to share his experiences on the bullying he has received since middle school," Elmer L. Cerano, the group's executive director, said in a statement. "In addition, this will allow Ian to share his thoughts with other students on preventive measures."

A third of middle school and high school students have reported being bullied during the school year, Obama said in his remarks at the summit. Almost 3 million students have said they were pushed, shoved, tripped, even spit on. It's also more likely to affect kids that are seen as different, whether it's because of the color of their skin, the clothes they wear, the disability they may have, or sexual orientation, he said"As parents, this issue really hits home for us," Michelle Obama said. "It breaks our hearts to think that any child feels afraid every day in the classroom, on the playground, or even online."

Alleged rape victim, 14, taunted, kills self

Doug Guthrie and George Hunter / The Detroit News

Huron Township— High school freshman Samantha Kelly endured taunts and isolation during her last month in school, classmates said, after news surfaced that she had accused a popular senior of raping her.

On Monday, the 14-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging herself inside her mobile home in Huron Estates, off Inkster, south of King. Friends and family gathered at her home Tuesday, trying to find ways to cope with the pain and anger.

One relative who was not at the trailer was Samantha's mother, June Justice. She said it would be too painful to return to the site where her daughter killed herself.

Samantha's classmates at Huron High School said the school became divided over the rape allegations, with many students calling her a liar in the halls and on the school bus.

"They all took sides," said 17-year-old senior Sheila Little. "Her friends left her because they said she was lying. It's obvious this pressure had a real impact on her."

Sheila said Samantha confided in her that she had tried to commit suicide three weeks ago by overdosing on pills. "She said, 'I'm tired of people talking about me, so here you go. I might try it again,' " she said.

When news of Samantha's suicide reached the school, Sheila said, many students were unrelenting.

"People were saying, 'She was only doing it for the attention,' " Sheila said. "What kind of attention is that? She didn't ask for this."

Prosecutors plan to drop sexual assault charges against Joseph Tarnopolski, the 18-year-old who was accused of having sex with Samantha. A preliminary court examination was scheduled for today, and Samantha had been subpoenaed to testify.

Because the only witness against Tarnopolski is now dead, the charges will be dropped, said Maria Miller, spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

"Without the victim, we're unable to go forward with the case," Miller said.

Samantha's aunt, Charlie Justice, was upset at the prosecutor's decision.

"No victim, no case — are you kidding? Where's the justice in that? She didn't ask for this," Justice said.

The girl's mother last month reported to police that Tarnopolski had sex with her daughter. Tarnopolski was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and was released on bond, with a condition that he have no contact with the alleged victim.

After his release on 10 percent of a $10,000 bond on Oct. 12, Tarnopolski returned to Huron High.

Tarnopolski lives eight doors down the street from Samantha's mobile home. A vehicle was parked in the driveway of the Tarnopolski trailer Tuesday afternoon, although no one answered the door.

Tarnopolski Tweeted several times, apparently about the case. On Sept. 28, he Tweeted, "All girls are, are liars and backstabbers! I hate you all. Way to ruin my life. Seriously, now this will be on my record for life!"

Miller said her office did not know the girl was being teased by classmates until after a Fox 2 (WJBK) news broadcast on Oct. 20 identifying the girl's mother.

"Although the child's face was not seen, when the mother was interviewed, essentially the child's identity was revealed," Miller said.

"After the broadcast, it is our understanding that the child was harassed at school. We had no reports of harassment prior to the airing of the piece."

Alicia Skillman, executive director of Equality Michigan, a Detroit-based organization that has tried to get anti-bullying legislation passed, said taunting takes a toll on children.

"This affects everyone; that's something some people don't seem to get," Skillman said. "You can be an average, middle-of-the road youth, and you can be bullied."

An estimated 160,000 U.S. children miss school every day because they fear being attacked or intimidated by others, according to the National Education Association.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101110/METRO/11100371/Alleged-rape-victim--14--taunted--kills-self#ixzz151lXP6Gu