"For many gay youth, middle school is more survival than learning – one parent of a gay teenager I spent time with likened her child’s middle school to a 'war zone',” wrote Benoit Denizet-Lewis in the New York Times Magazine. He told of a middle school counselor in Maine who says anti-gay language is embedded in middle-school culture, and – because more LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and … [Read more...] about Anti-gay harassment tougher on middle-schoolers
bullying
Why anti-bullying laws aren’t working
Forty-four states have laws against bullying, but they're largely ineffective, according to an article in Education Week. The tragic suicide of 11-year-old Jaheem Herrera in the Atlanta area last spring (see this) was a prime illustration, since "Georgia's law has one of the largest gaps between what it requires of [school] districts and the tools it gives them for meeting those requirements," the … [Read more...] about Why anti-bullying laws aren’t working
First UK teen to be jailed for cyberbullying
After pleading guilty to harassment,18-year-old Keeley Houghton of Worcestershire was "sentenced to three months in a young offenders' institution" after posting death threats in Facebook, The Guardian reports. It added that the person she had threatened, another 18-year-old, Emily Moore, "had been victimized for four years [by Houghton], the court heard, and had previously suffered a physical … [Read more...] about First UK teen to be jailed for cyberbullying
Japan’s school bullying problem
The vast majority of Japan's elementary and middle-school students "have experienced bullying, both as the victim and the perpetrator," Agence France Presse reports, based on a survey of 4,800 students aged 10-15 by the country's National Institute for Educational Policy Research. Among the key findings, 86.9% of elementary students had been "shunned by friends, ignored or talked about behind … [Read more...] about Japan’s school bullying problem
Pediatricians’ role in dealing with bullying
Perri Klass, M.D., thoughtfully tells a story on herself about how her thinking about both victims and bullies has changed - and how differently she'd approach them as a pediatrician, based on what we now know from the research. In her commentary in the New York Times, she also reports a key development in pediatrics: "Next month, the American Academy of Pediatrics will publish the new version of … [Read more...] about Pediatricians’ role in dealing with bullying