What would happen if students took it upon themselves to improve their schools and communities? That’s the question that Brandon Greene, currently a rising sophomore at Burrillville High School in Rhode Island, asked himself a few years ago.

As part of a 6th grade school project, Greene created a small committee to give back to his school and community and spread an anti-bullying message. Continue Reading

When federal leaders began a major effort to raise awareness about bullying prevention, it seemed that for every parent, teacher and community advocate who supported our mission, there was another to insist that bullying was either a normal part of growing up or “kids just being kids.”

Eleven years later, a lot has changed.

At the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), we’ve done our part by connecting leaders on the ground with the resources they need to educate the public about the effects of bullying behavior and how to prevent it in schools and communities.

This summer, we continue our work.

Through a partnership with the American Camp Association (ACA), we are supplying free bullying prevention materials to more than 100 of ACA’s Explore 30 Camps. Explore 30 is a new ACA program designed to address the threat that children who are not engaged in challenging, interesting, and fun activities in the summertime will return to school in the fall having forgotten much of what they learned in the previous academic year.

To support... Continue Reading

Across the country, local leaders are stepping up to address bullying in their communities. Now that more and more people are taking a stand, many have asked for resources to help them become more effective. In response, StopBullying.gov pulled together research-based recommendations to provide some guidance. We know that every child, family, school and community is unique. So the real question is, “How can we connect the dots to find out what works for youth in my town?”

The Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency that is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, has developed the Bullying Prevention Training Module and Community Action Toolkit. Included in this resource:... Continue Reading

Student leaders from Quantico high school, 4H, Baltimore Intersection and DC Mayors Youth Advisory Council played a big role at the Bullying Prevention Summit. A subset of these students spoke with Secretary Arne Duncan and Assistant Secretary Deb Delisle about their student led bullying prevention efforts.

When I helped close the third annual Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit on Tuesday, my colleagues and I gave attendees a simple charge: what are you going to do to further bullying prevention in the next year?

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Yesterday, Cynthia Germanotta and I had the opportunity to discuss how to empower young people and end bullying at the Third Annual Bullying Prevention Summit in Washington, D.C. Cynthia and her daughter, Lady Gaga, recently founded the Born This Way Foundationto empower young people with the skills and opportunities they need to build a kinder, braver world.

As moms, both Cynthia and I realize the impact that bullying—and kindness—can have on young people. We both agreed that we must all stay focused on ending bullying because no young person, or their loved ones, should have to endure the pain, agony, and loss to our families, schools, and communities that can come with bullying.

We also agreed that we need to reinforce... Continue Reading