Creswell Connections: January

For our January Creswell Connections meeting we were fortunate to have a guest speaker, Mr. James Martin from Tennessee Voices for Children, join us to discuss bullying prevention.  Here are some of the highlights from his presentation:

• Bullying is a national issue: 71% of students report bullying as an ongoing problem, and 90% of students grase 4-8 report being victims of bullying.  On average, 282,000 students report being attacked by peers in high schools throughout the country each month.*
• Verbal abuse can occur face-to-face, but increasingly these tactics are used via text and the internet - even (sometimes especially) during school hours, resulting in negative self-image and damaged self-esteem.  Physical conflicts are not limited to fights, but include such behaviors as pushing in hallways or bathrooms - acts meant to intimidate and establish dominance in front of peers by means of force.
• Bullying can be acted out by an individual student or by the social group(s) associated with this individual as well.  Family members and other adults have also sometimes initiated bullying tactics.
• The effects of bullying and intimidation (name calling, teasing, rumors and social exclusion) can be physical, but are often mental and emotional as well. Victims often distance themselves from peers and family, frequently describe themselves in a negative fashion, exhibit fear when in large groups of people, and often have changes in eating or sleeping patterns.  Victims of bullying often seem very intimidated when receiving negative feedback or are challenged on a topic/idea.
• The best ways to combat bullying are to develop youth confidence through daily positive communication.  Link youth with positive peer groups that are open to discussing such issues - Youth Move, Youth in Action Councils, etc.  Strengthen youth/adult relationships by making yourself available to talk about these issues, or just share positive time together.  

TN Voices has many programs to fit a wide variety of need and family situation - feel free to contact them at any time if interested in learning more.  Thank you again, Mr. Martin, for your time and information!

Tennessee Voices for Children, Inc. (TVC) was formally organized in 1990 by Tipper Gore as a statewide coalition of individuals, agencies and organizations working together as a Steering Council to promote children’s health and education services. TVC has progressed to become a statewide and national source of referral, support, and advocacy for families and the systems that serve them.

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