Where do I even start with this post...I am sure that bullying has been going on since the beginning of time but these days it seems there is so much bullying happening on the Internet. The above photo is from a photo shoot that I did of Baby F for a project our friends daughter was doing for school.
Right now our son is only 9 months old and I can protect him from the world but someday someone WILL make fun of him...WILL say hateful things to him AND hurt his feelings... there is only so much that I will be able to protect him from and that makes me sad.
When I was younger I was probably guilty of bullying at one time or another and I have also been a victim of bullying. These days it seems so much easier with the Internet, Texting, Tweeting, Facebook and other Social Media. Anyone can create an anonymous account and send hateful comments to someone else whenever they feel like it so I think that education about bullying is VERY important. Too many people have taken their own lives because they have been harassed and degraded online. It happens everyday.
The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about Anti Bullying Education so I have chosen some very helpful links that I will post below.http://www.stopabully.ca/
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org
http://www.antibullying.net/
http://www.bullying.org/
http://www.pinkshirtday.ca/
Quoted from http://www.stopcyberbullying.org "Teaching kids to “Take 5!” before responding to something they encounter online is a good place to start. Jokingly, we tell them to “Drop the Mouse! And step away from the computer and no one will get hurt!” We then encourage them to find ways to help them calm down. This may include doing yoga, or deep-breathing. It may include running, playing catch or shooting hoops. It may involve taking a bath, hugging a stuffed animal or talking on the phone with friends. Each child can find their own way of finding their center again. And if they do, they will often not become a cyberbully, even an inadvertent cyberbully. Teaching them the consequences of their actions, and that the real “Men in Black” may show up at their front door sometimes helps. Since many cyberbullying campaigns include some form of hacking or password or identity theft, serious laws are implicated. Law enforcement, including the FBI, might get involved in these cases."
-Earth Sea Mama
