Bullying Prevention – Everyone’s Responsibility What Parents Can Do Webinar

Stella: Well, thank you all so much for joining us today. I am Stella Beard with Kentucky SPIN and we have Kellie Smith with us from Kentucky SPIN also, who will be our presenter today. I wanted just to go over just a few little housekeeping rules for you, or, not necessarily rules, but just information.

[00:00:21] We do have handouts. If you look on the right side of your screen, you should have a dashboard, and if you scroll down on the dashboard, you will see a tab called handouts. You are more than welcome to click on that and download those handouts. The PowerPoint is also included, but I will let you know, there will be a follow up email tomorrow with those handouts included. Along with other information. So, if you don’t want to do that right now, you certainly don’t have to.

[00:00:54] Also, you will see a question box. If you have a question, during the presentation, please go ahead and put that into the question box. And as time allows, we will get to those at the end of the presentation. And if we don’t get a chance to answer them all, we will follow up with you later with any questions that you may have during the presentation. So again, you will also receive a certificate of completion tomorrow in the email follow. And so we just want to go ahead and get started with Bullying Prevention – Everyone’s Responsibility, What Parents Can Do.

[00:01:30] So, Kellie, can you hear me?

[00:01:36] Kellie: I can hear you.

[00:01:38] Stella: All right, we’ll go ahead and get started. Thank you Kellie, for presenting for us today.

[00:01:43] Kellie: Well, thank you everyone for attending. I know we’re most of us probably are spending a whole lot of time on webinars, and I know that there is never a shortage of options when it comes to webinars to attend, so we absolutely appreciate you choosing this one and like Stella said we’re going to wait until the end of the presentation for questions because this presentation is filled with so much great information.

[00:02:14] So in this presentation there are resources for parents, educators, and for all students.

[00:02:21] Students. So let’s talk about where this presentation comes from. It comes from the PACER Center and the National Bullying Prevention Center. So what do they do? Again, they provide resources for parents, educators, and for all students, not just students with a disability. And so on the right side of this screen, you’ll see some different thoughts that they have and some different things on their thoughts that they have such as PACER.org/Bullying, TeensAgainstBullying.org, KidsAgainstBullying.org, National Bullying Prevention Month, which was PACER initiated in 2006. An individual help for students, parents, and professionals, and specialized resources available for students with disabilities.

[00:03:14] Okay, so if you are not familiar with Kentucky SPIN, which is Kentucky Special Parent Involvement Network, Kentucky SPIN provides statewide training, information and support to people with all types of disabilities, their parents and families and professionals for all age groups. We do not act as attorneys or give legal advice. We present you with what your legal options are and allow you to make the best decision for your family. We empower families to effectively advocate for their children and provide peer support to help families access those that needed information and resources.

[00:03:59] So Kentucky SPIN Unite 2 End Bullying program is in partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. We’re working to build our Unite 2 End Bullying program through bullying awareness and education all throughout the state of Kentucky.

[00:04:20] So our agenda this morning is the dynamics of bullying. We’re going to discuss what parents can do. That’s going to include action steps for the parents, as well as action steps for the parent and the child. Then we’re going to discuss parents of children with disabilities, and then what you can do if you want to help in this spot.

[00:04:45] Okay. So the dynamics of bullying. We’re going to go over bullying defined, the common views of bullying, who does the bullying and who is targeted by the bullying.

[00:04:57] Okay. So defining bullying as a behavior. The basic guideline is that you need to let your child know that if the behavior hurt or harmed them, either emotionally or physically, and if they have a hard time defending themselves, then they’re being bullied. And sometimes kids or teenagers they get confused. And they think that if they’re having a conflict with someone that they’re being bullied. So, just some general information for them is conflict, kind of think of it as a children’s self-monitor their behavior. And they generally stop when they realize they’re hurting someone because conflict is not really, you know, hurting someone is not your intention. But if it’s bullying, the children continue that behavior when they realize it’s hurting someone and they’re satisfied by that feeling of power and control over another person.

[00:06:06] So the impact of bullying, there are three areas of concern to parents, as well as other people involved. Number one, education, so your child may avoid school, or they may stop  achieving academically. They might have physical and emotional health issues. And then of course safety concerns, they may  harm themselves or others. And I think we’re all tired of seeing children harm themselves as a result of bullying.

[00:06:40] There are different hops of bullying. So there’s verbal bullying, which is using words, often quick and direct. Then there’s physical bullying. So kicking, hitting, maybe pulling hair. They’re easy to recognize. Then you have social and emotional. So that includes manipulation, gossip, that top of bullying is very, very calculated. Then you have sexual bullying, which is a violation of personal boundaries. And students are often reluctant to talk about this. And then of course you have cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is your new quote unquote bathroom wall, where kids are using technology and social media sites to hurt or harm others.

[00:07:33] Some common views and myths about bullying is that number one, it’s an actual part of childhood. It’s not an actual part of childhood, or it definitely should not be. And then words will never hurt you. I think we all have probably been hurt by words and we absolutely know that that is not true. And then, some people deserve to be bullied. No one deserves to be bullied. Bullying makes kids tougher. I have actually heard parents say this to their children with my own ears, that definitely is a myth. We’re telling your teacher that, or telling a teacher about being bullied is haggling. And that will cause a child to not tell what’s happening to them.

[00:08:23] And so who bullies and why? Students who bully can be any size, age, or gender. It does not just have to be, you know, the biggest guy in class, it can be anyone. The common element is their behavior. And most commonly children who bully seek to demonstrate power and want to feel in control over others.

[00:08:51] And so who’s targeted by bullying? There is no typical profile of someone who might be subjected to bullying. There are some common characteristics among children who are targets of this behavior.

[00:09:04] I would like to stop here for just one second. If you could use your chat box, would you be willing to type in what you think some of the common characteristics among children who are targets of bullying might be? If you would just type that in for everyone to see since we would probably have a discussion over this, if we were in person. But just utilize your chat box and let’s talk about maybe what we think are common characteristics among bullied children. I’ll give you just a minute to get that in.

[00:09:51] Stella: Kellie. I think they’re typing it in the question box, which is totally fine. So let me read some of them to you.

[00:09:57] Kellie: Sure.

[00:09:59] Stella: Hold on one little second.

[00:10:03] We’ve got smaller children, younger children, lower functioning children. That’s good. Social status extremes, poor or wealthy, different hairstyles. That’s all I see so far.

[00:10:24] Kellie: Okay. So, and that’s kind of all over the place. I mean, really when it says there’s no typical profile, those comments are, you know, right on target with that statement, that it could literally, kids can be bullied over anything, you know. Whether they’re pretty, or they’re perceived as not being pretty or just whatever. And then you have some kids who play a dual role, they’re both the target and the bully, and that’s called reactive bullying when they’re bullied by someone and then they turn around and bully someone else.

[00:11:04] Okay. So what can parents do? Some action steps for the parents are number one, know your laws. Know your site’s laws, know your district policies. Be sure to keep records of each incident that you’re told about by your child. And then there is a template letter that is included in your handouts that you will be sent, so that if your child is bullied or a child that you know is bullied, you can fill in this letter and you can send it straight to the school. It’s very, it’s plain and simple, it’s a fill in the blank, you just plug in the information and go.

[00:11:44] And then some things that you and your child can do together is you can have conversation. You can teach your child how to self-advocate and you can create a student action plan. Kentucky SPIN does have that as well as the PACER center. You can inform them about cyberbullying, kind of discuss that, what that looks like and whether or not it’s happening to them. You can absolutely take action, if your child is bullying. You can take on the role of an active bystander. And then recognize bullying as a civil rights issue. And we’re going to talk more about that as we progress.

[00:12:27] So first thing know your laws. So the status of State legislation is on stopbullying.gov, and the laws vary by State. Kentucky does have anti-bullying laws, which we’re just about to discuss. So on stopbullying.gov you’ll see the components of the State anti-bulling laws and regulations. And it will tell you the component on the left and whether or not it’s included in the law, on the right. So that’s great for you to be able to familiarize yourself with.

[00:13:12] And so these are links, and when you download the PDF version of this presentation, whether you do it today, or whether it’s email you tomorrow, all of the links do work. So every bit of information that is a link in the PowerPoint, you’ll be able to click right to it. So these are all the Kentucky statutes regarding bullying, harassment.

[00:13:46] Okay. So how are bullying and cyberbullying defined in Kentucky and anti-bullying laws and regulations? Kentucky anti-bullying laws include the following definition of bullying. Bullying means any unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. And that can be a physical power imbalance, or a social power imbalance. And is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated. It has to occur on school premises, on school sponsored transportation or at a school sponsored event, or disrupts the education process.

[00:14:31] So does Kentucky anti-bullying laws and regulations cover cyberbullying that occurs off campus? No, it doesn’t. So Kentucky’s anti-bullying laws do not cover off campus conduct.

[00:14:46] Okay. So what are the policy requirements for schools to prevent and respond to bullying behavior? Kentucky anti-bullying laws require school districts to formulate a code of acceptable behavior and discipline that prohibits  bullying, which we probably all get when we get our student handbook each year. The discipline code must contain key policy and procedural elements, including, but not limited to, statements that prohibit bullying, descriptions of the types of behavior expected from each student. Procedures for reporting and investigation. Statements of disciplinary consequences for students who fail to obey discipline standards and statements regarding the importance of the standard to the maintenance of a safe learning environment.

[00:15:36] Procedures for reporting and investigation. Strategies or methods of protecting students from retaliation for reporting an incident of bullying. Process for informing students, parents, legal guardians, and school employees of the requirements of the code, including training for school employees. Procedures for notifying parents, or legal guardians of the students involved and statements of how the policy will be publicized within the district. Kentucky anti-bullying laws require districts to update codes of discipline no less frequently than every two years. And report their data on major discipline problems to the State.

[00:16:26] Does the Kentucky anti-bullying laws and regulations include protections for specific groups? No, there are no specific groups listed under Kentucky anti-bullying laws or regulations. Kentucky schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination on a number of different personal characteristics, to find out when bullying may be a civil rights violation that is applicable for you.

[00:16:55] Do Kentucky anti-bullying laws and regulations encouraged or require districts to implement bullying prevention programs or strategies? No, Kentucky anti-bullying laws do not require districts to implement bullying prevention, programs, or strategies.

[00:17:12] Do Kentucky anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to train teachers and other school staff on how to respond to bullying incidents? Yes, Kentucky school district codes of discipline must include a process for informing students, parents, legal guardians, and school employees of the requirements of the code, including training for school employees.

[00:17:39] Do Kentucky anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or required districts to provide safeguards or mental health support for students involved in bullying? No, they don’t. Kentucky anti-bullying laws do not require districts to provide safeguards or mental health supports for students who have been bullied or are bullying.

[00:18:03] Do Kentucky anti-bullying laws and regulations involve parents in efforts to address the bullying behavior? No, they don’t. Kentucky anti-bullying laws do not create expectations for parent involvement.

[00:18:17] So for more information you can visit the Kentucky Department of Education’s bullying and harassment webpage. That is a clickable link. And I also want you all to know that we did reach out to KDE, regarding some of their resources and they sent over several, which will all be going out to you in your follow up email tomorrow. Several of their best documents that they felt would really, really benefit families.

[00:18:49] And so the key component of this framework, using the analysis of State laws is based on the legislation presented in State bullying laws, which is a US Department of Education. So keeping a record of everything, of each incident of bullying. The content should include written information about the bullying incidents, the date that it happened, who was involved and what the child has said, the child’s account of the event.

[00:19:26] So something that I said before is there are template letters that we have included in your handouts. Parents should contact school staff each time the child informs them that he or she has been bullied. PACER does provide this template, it’s fill in the blank. So it can be completely customized to your child’s situation.

[00:19:53] 64% of children who were bullied did not report it. That’s only 36 reported this. So if your child talks to you about bullying, number one, let’s make sure you listen. Number two, make sure you believe them. You need to be supportive and patient. You need to provide information to your students and to the school and you need to explore options for intervention strategies.

[00:20:30] Okay. So why don’t students tell? You will want to talk to your child about why students might not tell. Some of the reasons may be fear of overreaction from the parent. I can say with 100% certainty that this has been an issue with my children, because I go crazy. If somebody messes with my babies, I lose my mind. And it is not my best quality, and I know that, I own it. But something happens to me as I’m sure many of you, if somebody messes with my baby, I go off, I go off the deep end. I just, I lose it completely.

[00:21:16] And so lots of things have happened in their lives. And then when I found out about it, like why didn’t you tell me? They’re like, are you kidding? Do you remember the last time? Or I didn’t want you to overreact. And I’ve even had my kids apologize to the people that wronged them for my behavior. So I definitely am not saying that right. That that is okay, the right thing to do. But I’m saying I have witnessed in my own life that a child’s fear of overreaction will keep them from telling.

[00:21:49]So it’s important that we keep our cool. They’re watching us and how we act absolutely matters in these situations. They might feel judged, they might feel like, you know, they had, you know, that they’re less than, or they’re inferior because they’re being bullied and that might keep them from telling. Or they might be embarrassed about it, or maybe it’s just hard to talk about really anything.

[00:22:18] A child with an adolescence and teenage years is so hard and it is hard to talk about personal things. This is also very hard to know who you can trust. They may be ashamed or even think that they’re responsible for what has happened. Or maybe they think that it doesn’t do any good to tell because they’ve seen other kids get bullied and tell and nothing happens. So they worry that they won’t be protected. Or maybe they think that it’s not macho or they’re not tough if they tell. And then maybe they think that adults just simply don’t care.

[00:22:58] So there is a link to Advice Gone Wrong. I encourage you to go to that page and check that out.

[00:23:16] Okay. So some reactions to avoid and I have heard or said most of these myself, as I’m sure a lot of you have as well. So telling your child to stand up to the bullying. Telling your child to ignore and avoid the bully or taking matters into your own hands. Bullying is a behavior that needs to be handled so telling your kids to fight them is maybe not the best thing to say right away.

[00:23:49] And the next thing is, does your child recognize that they’re being bullied? Some questions to ask your child is, do you think that other student hit you on purpose or the other kid or Jack or Jane or whatever their name is? Do you think it was intentional? And has it happened more than one time? How did it make you feel? Did you feel unsafe? And is the other student stronger or more powerful in some way? And like I said before, that can be physically, socially, it doesn’t matter. Power is power.

[00:24:35] Okay. So what we have to do is, we have to teach our kids to self-advocate. They have to learn that they are not alone. So provide your child with those affirmations that they’re not alone and that it’s not up to them to stop that bullying. Bullying happens to a lot of kids, but that never ever makes it right. No one deserves to be bullied and everyone deserves to be respected. And then we all have to work on this together. And we all have the right to be safe. They all should be able to expect adults to keep them safe.

[00:25:25] And assert that right, when they’re being bullied. It is their right, and they need to learn to assert that right. They need to learn the response strategies. Which are report the situation to a parent, guardian, and or a trusted adult at school. To move away from the situation as quickly as possible. And then to quote school policy. And I know, you know, the first time I read this, I thought, you know, my kid is not going to stand there and quote school policy, if they are being bullied. But that is an important part of self-advocacy.

[00:26:06] For instance, if we are at a grocery store and the sign says that milk is 99 cents a gallon, and then we get to the checkout and they charge us to $2.99, well then we’re going to say, no, your sign says that it’s 99 cents a gallon. We’re not going to let them charge us the $2.99 a gallon. Our kids have to learn how to speak policy, they have to be able to say, this is not okay, I’m standing up for my rights. So in that, that’s in any situation. And so that’s just very, very important for us to start teaching them.

[00:26:45] And then you can create a student action plan. That’s a printed booklet for parents to use with their child to help them think through potential steps to take in a bullying situation. And I just want to insert this. If you do not have the ability to print these materials, and you want printed materials, please do not hesitate to call or email us and ask us for the format you’re looking for and we will print it and mail it to you.

[00:27:19] Cyberbullying. This is a huge deal in this day and age. So you need to talk to your kids about what cyberbullying is. You need to set cyber safety rules and you need to know what your children are doing online, period.

[00:27:43] So what to do if your child’s the bully? Number one, you need to have a talk with them. You need to consider if the behavior is disability related. You need to teach empathy, respect or compassion. Make your expectations clear and provide clear, consistent consequences when they bully. Teach by example, role play. Role play seems awkward in a lot of situations, but it’s extremely effective. Provide positive feedback, be realistic and seek help if you need it.

[00:28:27] So I mentioned before taking the role of an active bystander. So bystanders can help a student who is bullied by spending time with that student that is being bullied, trying to get this student away from the situation as quickly as possible, listening to the student who is being bullied and telling the students that no one deserves to be bullied.

[00:29:03] So Kevin Jennings, the former assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in Washington, DC recorded a video for PACERs National Bullying Prevention Center entitled the role of bystanders. So I think we’re going to watch that video and it only lasted a couple of minutes.

[00:29:27] External Video: The main thing I’d like teenagers to know about bullying is a lot of people will tell you there’s nothing you can do to stop it. They are lying to you. Studies show that when a peer intervenes, when they see one of their friends getting bullied, in 57% of the cases the bullying stops in less than 10 seconds.

[00:30:16] So anyone who tells you that there’s nothing you can do about it, and you can’t make a difference. They’re flat out wrong. And we’ve all had times in our life where we felt very alone and like nobody cared about us. And we really remember the person who came through for us at those times. You’ve got a chance to be that person for somebody who’s probably very scared, maybe even  terrified who may go home and even end their own life. Be that kind of friend to someone.

[00:31:09] Kellie: And then we also are going to discuss the bullying as a civil rights issue. In a “Dear Colleague” letter dated October 26, 2010, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights stated is that bullying may also be considered harassment when it’s based on race, color, national origin, gender or disability. Harassing behaviors may include things such as unwelcome conduct, such as verbal abuse, name calling epithet, which is, you know, using adjectives to describe things about the person that’s being bullied. Or slurs, they can be graphic or written statement. Think back to the quote unquote bathroom wall and making threats or a physical assault. And other contexts that might be physical, physically threatening, harmful, or humiliating. State and local laws may provide additional protections on another basis, including sexual orientation.

[00:32:22] So now we’re going to talk about for parents of children with disabilities. We’ll discuss the numbers, the disability harassment, or dear colleague letter, federal laws, the schools’ duties, a template letter using the IEP, filing a complaint and peer advocacy.

[00:32:47] So the numbers. Bullying of children with disabilities is significant although few studies exist to document it. We all know that, we know that lots and lots of students with disabilities are bullied and no one’s writing it down. The studies that have been published, found that children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be bullied than their non-disabled peers.

[00:33:17] According to a July 25th, 2000 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Office for Civil Rights and the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, in the US Department of Education, state and school districts also have a responsibility under section 504 Title Two, and the Individuals with Disabilities  Education Act, which is enforced by OSERS to ensure a free, appropriate public education or FAPE, is made available to eligible students with disability. Disability harassment may result in a denial of FAPE under these statutes.

[00:34:03] So section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or we call it section 504 and Title Two of the American Disabilities Act of 1990. We call that Title Two are the federal laws that apply if their harassment denies a student with a disability an equal opportunity to education. The Office for Civil Rights enforces, section 504 and Title Two of the ADA. Students who meet the section 504, ADA definition of disability would qualify for these protections, including students who have a record of a disability or are regarded as having a disability.

[00:34:49] So what does the school have to do? Immediate and appropriate action to investigate or otherwise determined what happened. And when an investigation reveals that harassment has occurred, a school must take steps or should take steps that are reasonably calculated to end the harassment. Eliminate any hostile environment and present a harassment from recurring. And prevent retaliation against that targeted student or complainant.

[00:35:25] Okay, so included and when you get your template letters, they’re all provided at, you know, at once. So it’ll be one PDF that’s three pages. And so the first page will be your traditional, and then the second and third are for students with IEP or 504 plans. And so, like I said, all that is either in your handout or it will be emailed to you tomorrow.

[00:35:59] So using the individualized education program for bullying purposes. The IEP team of which includes the parent can identify strategies that could be written into the IEP to help stop the bullying. It may be helpful to also involve your child. I would highly recommend that when appropriate, in the decision making process, since this can improve the likelihood of the student meeting the IEP goals.

[00:36:29] And I  also would like insert that we don’t want to put this in there, if you know, if your child is not going to quote policy, we don’t want that to be in there because if your child’s not going to do it, there was no reason for it to be in the IEP. This needs to be something that’s discussed with your child. What do you think? And what can we do?

[00:36:54] You can file a complaint. Parents who believe their student’s rights have been violated can file a complaint of discrimination with the Office for Civil Rights or the Department of Justice. So filing a complaint and denial of FAPE, parents who believe their child has been denied the right to a free, appropriate education or FAPE can file a complaint with their state educational agency,

[00:37:30]Bullying prevention or peer advocacy is a bullying prevention initiative designed to reduce bullying of students with disabilities by engaging, educating, and empowering designated peers to advocate for specific students with disabilities. And we have another video.

[00:37:56] External Video: Hey, my name is Stephen and I’m a peer advocate. Hi, I’m Abby and I’m also a peer advocate.

[00:38:08] We are all peer advocates.

[00:38:10] Peer advocacy is about speaking up for others. It’s about seeing people in a new way.

[00:38:24] I am Hope.

[00:38:24] It’s about treating people with respect even if they’re different.

[00:38:26] This is David. This is about speaking out about bullying.

[00:38:56] David and Hope are in a Special Education class.

[00:39:17] We know who they are, but never had a chance to hang out with them. They used to sit by themselves at lunch. At school assemblies, they never sat with the rest of us. We also saw that they weren’t always included in activities.

[00:39:22] That was how it used to be.

[00:39:28] That was before we had the peer advocacy project. Now we know what to do if someone is being teased or made fun of.

[00:39:50] We’ve had the chance to get to know each other. And we know that we’re not so different. And now we sit together at lunch and school assemblies.

[00:40:16] We give high fives in the hallways.

[00:40:22] It’s cool! I love having more friends.

[00:40:29] And our friends want to hang out too. We’ve all changed from this experience.

[00:40:41] Hope and David are more talkative, more outgoing and seem happier.

[00:40:51] Together, we found out that our actions are powerful. we learned that we can do something about bullying.

[00:41:08] We know that reaching out to someone can make the world a better place. We think all schools should have peer advocates.

[00:41:28] It’s easy, makes you feel good and it makes a difference.

[00:41:38] Together we are doing something about bullying.

[00:41:44] So what are you waiting for?

[00:41:50] So what are you waiting for?

[00:41:55] So what are you waiting for?

[00:42:01] [background music]

[00:42:03] I’m a peer advocate.

[00:42:06] I’m a peer advocate.

[00:42:10] [background music]

[00:42:12] I’m a peer advocate.

[00:42:15] [background music]

[00:42:17] I’m a peer advocate.

[00:42:21] [background music]

[00:42:23] We’re peer advocates.

[00:42:25] Let’s see a high five. That’s really good, record that.

[00:42:35] Kellie: So that video really inspired me. I don’t have kids in school anymore, they’re all grown up, but as a parent of a child with a disability, I was always very, very concerned that my child would be bullied. And I know from talking to parents all the time that you all share that fear as well. My child’s school did not have this peer program. And I think it is absolutely phenomenal. And as parents and professionals, we can really, you know, kind of move these sorts of things along.

[00:43:20] And so bullying prevention, it is everyone’s responsibility. It’s not just on the kids. It’s not just on the school. It’s not just on the parent. It is everyone from the child all the way up to the, you know, our federal laws. It’s embedded in society, protection for individuals. We have to make sure that we’re doing that.

[00:43:45] So if you want to get involved, you can be a champion against bullying. There are resources for community, schools, parents, and students on the PACER center website.

[00:43:58]Stella, do we have any questions or comments?

[00:44:05] Stella: I don’t see anything, but we can give everyone a chance if they do have a question. I would like to just share a quick comment. I know I also have an adult son with an intellectual disability, but when he was in high school, we didn’t have a specific program at the high school, but one of the things that I thought was great, is not only did, you know, the peer mentors help my son, but I truly believe that my son helped them too. So it was a great opportunity for him to be involved in clubs and he was involved in the marching band and different things like that. So we made sure that he was connected with his typical peers, but I do know that not only did they help him and change his life, but he changed their life for the better also. So I think it’s a win, win on both sides.

[00:45:00] Kellie: I completely agree with you. So on this slide, while you’re talking to your questions, if you have any, but we just have some, you know, different links for you, to share the expectation for teens. This is designed for students to reach out to other students, become a champion against bullying by showing your support and sign on as a champion. Providing bookmarks, there are introductory tool kit, that are downloadable, that schoolwide, elementary and middle and high school.

[00:45:36] And then you can have community events and I know that there is at least one, if not more than one Regional Interagency Council or RIAC, that is actually focusing on bullying in their communities.

[00:46:02] So did we ever end up with any questions?

[00:46:08] Stella: No, I think everybody’s just enjoying listening.

[00:46:12] Kellie: All right. So, you can donate, it’s a great way to show that you care, if you donate money. You can join the community by becoming a fan on Facebook, Twitter, or share your thoughts about bullying prevention on the I Care Because page, celebrating national bullying prevention month, sign the petition, and again, planning a live event.

[00:46:57] So you may know of some children and young adults that would be interested in becoming a peer champion. They can find out more about that or join that community on sites like Twitter or the I Care Because, and again, they can sign their own petition. They can check out teens against bullying with that. They can use the act section and watch videos and discuss with other youth. We have coloring books here that can be downloaded, puppet play, all kinds of great websites and information, from the PACER website. Again, all of these are links that you can use.

[00:47:53] So I do ask that you complete our evaluation that is going to pop up automatically when this webinar ends. And, if you, for some reason, miss that, it will be included in the follow up email, I believe. I believe that’s correct, am I right Stella?

[00:48:13] Stella: That’s correct. That’s correct. And also we will have it available, we will have this closed captioned and it will be available on our YouTube page. And I will be sure to include that link in the follow up email tomorrow. It won’t be on our YouTube page for about three days, but you can keep checking back if you want to share the link with someone else who maybe was not able to be on the webinar today.

[00:48:42] Kellie: And, so again, I thank you for attending. We absolutely do not take it lightly. We know there’s a million other things you could be doing, so we appreciate your attendance and we hope you all have a great day.

[00:48:57] Stella: Thanks so much. Have a great day.