Exclusion, retreat, and isolation are some of the factors that contribute to the harsh reality of school environments. Effectively addressing these issues requires recurring and early education.
Although bullying and victimization involve a multitude of issues, genuine kindness and respect must be present for anything positive to happen. Sometimes it seems that in the complexity of our society simple notions can be easily overlooked or left behind.
“Preventing bullying and responding to it at the school level, where almost all bullying occurs, depends on each school and fully understanding that bullying is the most common serious problem of the school-age child. It is also the most important indicator of the quality of a school’s culture and every important aspect of how a school and its educators function is important, for better or worse, by the degree to which bullying is effectively prevented and addressed.”
- Stuart Green, founder and director of the New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention