Anti-bullying resources

Pastoral letter on bullying from former Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger

Church of the Brethren Child protection materials

Church of the Brethren safe places materials:
These selected materials from a previous Health Promotions Sunday include a lesson covenant, lesson plan, worship resources, and devotional, all written by members of the Church of the Brethren.

American Camp Association logoThe American Camping Association has collected resources for camping ministries also applicable to congregational ministries. Included in the list of links are articles, sample policies, and e-learning modules. http://www.acacamps.org/child-health-safety/bullying

Ten lessons that focus on the empowerment of young and old alike. Rather than assuming that eradication of bullying must begin with the bully, these lessons help the victim take control of the situation through creative redirection. Part of this process helps the bullied see that their responses, whether verbal, physical, mental, or emotional allow the bully to win. The lessons start off by showing how these responses make the situation worse. The later lessons then help suggest ways to redirect the violence. These lessons assume a junior high aged audience but could easily be adapted for younger children. What is more, the lessons also offer helpful insights for parents and leaders. http://www.bullies2buddies.com/How-to-Stop-Being-Teased-and-Bullied-Without-Really-Trying

Southern Poverty Law Center "Teaching Tolerance"This resource page is produced by the Southern Poverty and Law Center. The video and study guide address the particular forms of bullying based on perceived sexual orientation. The site also includes resources for teachers and administrators to begin thinking about how to address bullying of any kind in their schools. Though some in the Church of the Brethren would object to the emphasis on sexual orientation, it is important to understand how young persons struggle with sexual identity and how their peers violently react. It is important to recall our statement on human sexuality and its call to “extend Christ-like comfort and grace to homosexual and bi-sexual persons,” including “challenging openly the widespread fear, hatred, and harassment of homosexual persons.” (1983 Statement, Human Sexuality From a Christian Perspective) http://www.tolerance.org/bullied

This National Public Radio segment helpfully identifies the issues surrounding bullying. For persons of faith the segment handles gently the theological concerns, especially given the varying theological commitments around human sexuality. The pieces closes with striking insight by asking simply how parents and schools can confront bullying without making it part of the culture wars. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130837802

This website, produced by the Health Resource and Service Administration, provides succinct definitions of bullying for both parents and children. It seeks to help persons know when they are victims of bullying and when they themselves participate in bullying another. There are number of multi-media forums for kids and adults to explore the phenomenon of bullying in all its forms, including cyber-bullying. This site would be particularly useful for families to explore the violence of bullying together. www.stopbullying.gov