What' the most widely shared piece of
expert advice for kids who are being bullied? "Talk
to a trusted adult."
But, as we all know, it's only good advice
when adults can be trusted to do or
say the right thing. In general, we're well
meaning but we don't all have a degree in child development or
psychology. It doesn't matter. Kids still need us to
step up.
So in the spirit of the Tangled Ball theory of pulling
out one string at a time to help a child, award-winning author
of One, Kathryn
Otoshi, along with Tangled Ball
came up with the One
Can Count Go-To Adult campaign.
Three
easy steps can help a child get more of the support
they need:
Step
One:
The elementary school counselor or trained
teacher or staff member talks to the class (recommended for
grades as young as 3rd Grade and as old as 8th Grade) about
bullying.
The students are then encouraged to talk
to a trusted adult when they feel they are being bullied and to
think about who that person might be. It should be
someone they feel very comfortable talking with, such as a
parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, trusted teacher or adult
family friend.
Step
Two:
Ask students to fill out the
One Can Count Go-To Adult
Certificate with that person's name. Present it,
along with the One Can Count
Go-To Adult Congratulatory Letter, to the
person of their choice.
Step
Three:
Check out this site for additional
information and words of wisdom from experts in the field,
including:
Amanda Nickerson, Director of the Jean M. Alberti Center for
the Prevention of Bullying Abuse and School Violence
Dr. Dorothy Espelage, nationally recognized bullying prevention
expert, University of Illinois
Elizabeth Lasky, Leader in social work specializing in bullying
and cyberbullying
Download free certificate and letter.
One can
count in a
child's life.
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