Antibullying

The advisory board members of the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding recognize a need for anti-bullying resources in a variety of different settings. A volunteer task force open to the public was formed with members from all areas of education, social work and community involvement.

The task force began by discussing what the community needed in order to assist in preventing and ending bullying and decided that an accessible information and support resource was the way to begin. The task force began work on the creation endofbullying.com, a website that includes information for and about parents, students, teachers, employees and cyberbullying.

The Anti-bullying Task Force also collaborated with University of Arizona Professor Sheri Bauman, an author and expert on bullying. Dr. Bauman has graciously volunteered and has begun educating administrators, teachers and support staff on what to do if bullying occurs, how to detect bullying in an educational environment, and the best ways to prevent future incidents. Tucson Unified School District and the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind have pilot programs stemming from these teachings. Some independent schools are also getting involved. There is ongoing discussion about creating anti-bullying school curriculum and/or working with established programs at certain schools. Contact us if you are interested in learning more.

Work on public service announcements is also being done, as is a campaign to raise awareness about all forms of bullying and ease the concerns people have about speaking out about the issue.

The Anti-bullying Task Force is also working with Arizona pediatricians to ensure children are being asked during visits if they feel safe in their schools. Resources for doctors and parents are available.

Lead by Jenny Douglas, director of Second Street Children’s School, and Ann-Eve Pederson, president of the Arizona Education Network, the all-volunteer task force committee was created by members and nonmembers of the fund’s board of directors. The task force is open to the public and welcomes interested volunteers.