October is National Bullying Prevention Month, making it an ideal time to examine some of the crucial factors surrounding this hot-button issue. Bullying touches families from coast to coast and in all demographic areas. The more we can shed light on it and learn to understand it, the better equipped we will be as a …
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5 Crucial Facts to Know for National Bullying Awareness Month
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Is Stand for the Silent Legit? About Our Fundraising Practices
You’ve probably found this page because you encountered Stand for the Silent through a presentation, a community outreach event (like a table outside of a store), or perhaps you saw someone wearing our t-shirt. Now, you’re researching to see if Stand for the Silent is legitimately one of the most effective anti-bullying organizations. Yes, we …
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“A Safe Place” Podcast Interview of Kirk Smalley, president of Stand for the Silent
Recently podcast host Luis Aponte interviewed Kirk Smalley, president of Stand for the Silent, on his show “A Safe Place.” Luis is an author, filmmaker, U.S. Air Force veteran and the founder of Dragon Film Productions. Luis’ school shooting-related article is currently in press with the peer-reviewed EDUCATION journal. When I began this podcast, I never imagined that I would …
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Cyberbullying: See Something, Say Something, Do Something.
Cyberbullying, the use of electronic devices to harass, shame, incite and humiliate, is imposing a devastating impact on today’s youth. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, between 2007 and 2019, the percentage of youth experiencing cyberbullying rose from 18% to 37%. Cyberbullying is now cited as a leading contributor to teenage suicide, as well as …
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Heard of helicopter parents? Helicopter siblings on the rise
Stacy Hawkins, a 30-year-old mother of three, recently told The Wall Street Journal that her 12-year old girl and 13-year-old boy have a remarkable relationship: They parent each other. Hawkins, in a conversation with reporter Charlie Wells, said “nothing is off limits … from why one sibling shouldn’t watch a certain movie on Netflix to …
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Cyberbullying: Advocates for victims speak out
Kirk Smalley, of Perkins, Oklahoma, is president of Stand for the Silent, an anti-bullying organization that has reached more than 3.2 million children through talks at 4,276 schools across the United States. In his talks, Smalley retells the devastating story of the day his son, Ty, took his life after years of being bullied. Since …
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Cellphones in class: A changing conversation
Does your child’s school allow cellphones? You may be surprised that policies can vary even within districts and that those policies may contradict your own rules for cellphone use during school. Schools in the Houston Unified School District, which at more than 215,000 students has the largest enrollment in Texas and seventh largest in the …
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Is it spying to monitor your child’s media use?
What’s the difference between cyberspying and monitoring? Cyberspying means to secretly collect information, and it will likely backfire for your children because it doesn’t foster a relationship based on trust. Monitoring your child’s location or media use with their knowledge, on the other hand, is fair game because you’re their parent. You have a right …
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Screen time: Questions on physical health
How many hours in a day is too long to use a digital device? The short answer is whenever, as a parent, you think is too long, but experts generally agree on a few conclusions. Screens should be off limits to children under 2. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics says “entertainment” screen time should …
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What parent-teen conversation can match “The Talk”?
What parent-teen conversation can match “The Talk”? These days, it might be the conversation we have about responsibility when kids unwrap their first smartphone. Here’s how to get started. In a recent article in The New York Times, columnist and bestselling author Bruce Feiler has six excellent, concise ground rules to get you and your …
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