Latest News

School principals roll up their sleeves to address bullying problem

February 28, 2010 -- Over 420 principals from around the state gathered at the Sheraton Ritz in Bloomington to discuss strategies and experiences with school violence.

One of the highlights of the conference was a presentation by Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a partner of Hazelden that is inspired by the findings of Norwegian social scientist Dan Olweus.

The presentation was led by retired principal Bonnie Johnson, She administered a questionnaire of truisms about bullying, some of which turned out to be false. (School buses are not more violent than classrooms.)

Johnson and Sue Thomas of Hazelden educated principals about the nature of bullying, both direct and indirect, and what works and what doesn't.

According to the Olweus program, some common methods of intervention are less successful than others:
• Zero tolerance programs
• Group treatment for bullying children
• Mediation and conflict resolution
• Anger management
What does work, according to Olweus, is a comprehensive approach that involves teachers, students, parents, and lots of time and commitment.

To learn more about Olweus, visit their website.

The session was marked with a question-and-answer period in which principals noted their successes and frustrations, One frustration is the growing frequency of expensive lawsuits against schools based on harassment -- some involving child suicide.

Joining the presentation was Peace Maker's own Dan McNeil, who addressed the financial issues of solving the problem of school bullying.

McNeil invited principals to enter into a partnership with Peace Maker Foundation to find funding solutions for Olweus programs.

McNeil described how Peace Maker is already helping dozens of schools implement a spectrum of different programs and initiatives across Minnesota.

Peace Maker Foundation is currently partnering with MESPA and Hazelden to support their Bullying Prevention Initiative. It is interesting in forming links with other programs too, to offer the richest possible selection of school violence solutions.

For more information about Peace Maker Foundation, visit our website at http://peacemakermn.org.
----------------------------

School districts nationwide face lawsuits over abuse
February 28, 2010 -- A Google news search reveals an emerging and challenging trend for school administrators: parents taking schools to court for failure to prevent the bullying of their children.

Here are just two stories, from Ohio and Pennsylvania:
A federal lawsuit has alleged that an 11 year-old girl was bullied so much by classmates at a Pittsburgh middle school that she became anorexic. The lawsuit alleges that the principle and other school staff knew about the bullying and didn’t do enough to stop it. The girl was allegedly taunted about her weight and harassed daily during lunch periods about what she was eating. The girl dropped down to 96 pounds, was hospitalized, and had to finish her seventh grade year from home.

Another federal lawsuit alleges that bullying was the cause of 17 year-old Eric Mohat’s suicide in Mentor, Ohio. Eric was bullied not because he was fat, like “B.G.”, but because he was too skinny. His appearance and participation in theater and music led classmates to conclude that he was gay. Nine weeks before the end of the school year, Eric shot himself in the head with his father’s revolver.

These lawsuits have drawn the attention of school districts nationwide, as they portend legal penalties for not creating a safe environment for children to learn.