Defending Childhood by Preventing Bullying

The following post appears courtesy of Jeff Slowikowski, Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Every day across America, youth are victimized by bullies - on the playground, in the classroom, even at home. Research indicates that 13 percent of sixth- through 10th-grade students are bullies, 10 percent are victims of bullies, and 6 percent are both victims and bullies. Bullying can have long term consequences for the safety of youth, as evidenced by the fact that two-thirds of school shooters reported having been bullied or having bullied others.  October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Online bullies act anonymously to victimize their peers, and may cause lasting damage. Victims of cyberbullying may suffer reduced academic performance, isolation from peers and family members, loss of self-esteem, and even self-inflicted injury and death. The Department of Justice has joined federal and nongovernmental partners to prevent and address all forms of bullying. The Department’s Defending Childhood Initiative, recently launched by Attorney General Eric Holder, is leading a national effort to address the exposure of children to violence, an exposure in which bullying plays a significant part. In August, the first Federal National Bullying Summit brought together federal partners in bullying prevention to develop a common strategy to end bullying.  We are also developing a series of bulletins addressing bullying in schools, which will be published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).  Drawing on information on bullying prevention presented at the Summit, today’s Webcast, conducted by the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Working Group, is yet another step forward.  The webinar will be available in November for viewing on OJJDP’s Online University.     The cost of bullying to its victims is one that we cannot afford to tolerate as a humane and compassionate society. Working together with those who share our commitment to defending children, it is time to act to stop bullying now.