Tag Archives: Anti-Bullying Workshops

How to choose a perfect password and remember it instantly

Password protection can help prevent cyber-bullying or your children choosing rock solid passwords? In fact, many children tend to use the name of their pet, their street or even their teacher’s last name.

There now hundreds of social media platforms available. Every one of them must be accessed with a username and password. However, if the password is weak, it can be easily compromised.

Here’s a tip to help your children choose a password which will not be hacked. This is also effective for adults or anyone wanting to make sure they are safe online.

Think of a sentence with 10 to 14 words. Include at least one number and one symbol in the sentence. Here’s an example. My brother has 6 red 20 $ T-shirts in his bedroom closet. Take the first letter of each word and keep the numbers and symbols in the sentence. By doing that you now have the following password:

Mbh6r20$tsihbc

This 14 digit password has upper and lowercase letters. It has a symbol, two numbers and other characters also. There are no words found in this password. These are important features of a good password.

Use this method and encourage your children to do the same when choosing passwords which no one else will be able to guess or hack. Just make sure you remember the sentence and don’t write it down. Once you write down a password, chances are vastly increased that someone else could find and use it.

Filtering Software can stop cyber-bullying before it starts

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Did you know there is software available that can actually help prevent bullying situations from happening? It’s your choice whether you would want to choose to use this method to be proactive against the possibility of bullying situations occurring.

Hopefully you trust your children and have built an excellent healthy relationship. You probably do not see the need to look in on them when they are not aware you are watching. That would be spying. I believe it is important to build a solid relationship so you will have confidence in your kids’ choice of activities.

At the same time, it important to supervise children and make sure you know what they actually doing at any given time. As adults, we are responsible for our children. We must realize that kids are curious and always learning new things. The Internet contains constant Continue reading →

How to use schedules and structure to help prevent cyber-bullying

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Are you struggling with the amount of time your kids are spending on computer, TV, handheld games, console games, YouTube and cell phones?

Kids who spend less time on-line experience fewer incidents of on-line bullying and are generally more well-adjusted. Are you looking for ways to be pro-active against cyber-bullying? Are you wondering how to get your children to spend less time on screens?

Luckily there is a solution which is not complicated or difficult. The method I’m talking about does take time and discipline in order to be effective. Implement this system and you’ll be glad to did.

I’m talking about schedules and lists. Sit down with your kids and talk about how much time you are going to allow them to spend on screens. You may want to give them more time on the weekend so that they can carry out their regular routines throughout the week without screen activities getting in the way.

One parent I know has decided their children will not participate in screens from Monday to Friday but on the weekends they can spend as much time as they wish doing screens activities. There are times when the children express frustration about not being able to be on screens during the week, but now that they’re used to it, the schedule is working successfully.

As parents, it is difficult to be Continue reading →

5 Reasons Why Your School Needs Anti Bullying Programs

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School anti bullying programs can make a profound impact on their audience. An antibullying program can be a one day initiative in the form of a theme-based assembly. Anti bullying programs can also be a series of events to raise awareness of bullying prevention in your school. An anti-bullying program is an initiative of some type that raises awareness of the topic. By the time you have finished reading this blog post, you will know exactly why your school will benefit from having anti bullying programs.
1/ Liability
Can you imagine how a parent of a child would feel if their child ends their life as a result of a bullying situation at your school? Any one of us would be devastated. One of the first questions asked is, “What anti-bullying initiatives had the school undertaken in the past few months or so?” Make sure the answer to that question is, “Yes, within the past year we have been active with this specific anti bullying program.” Did we do the program just because of liability issues? No, of course not, but the fact is that liability is a real issue in today’s society.
2/ Momentum
Energy packed school anti bullying programs encourage student participation and will help the student population gain momentum toward action. They will identify the need within their student body for bullying prevention efforts. They will be motivated to act on that need so that they can make a difference with their classmates and in their school community.
3/ Perception
Perception is reality. Have you ever heard this phrase? Students, staff and parents must believe that your school cares about bullying prevention within its walls. Your school may have great initiatives in place to deal with bullying, but if the general perception is that bullying is not a priority, then as a teacher or administrator, you are going to have a difficult time changing that perception without having anti bullying programs in place.
4/ Focus
Do you sometimes feel like your school is lacking focus or direction? Many times students, teachers and parents can have this same feeling. Bullying prevention must be a central initiative. After all, bullying is conveyed by the press as being a major issue, and as an educator or student, you know that it is a major issue. Students, staff, administrators and parents must all be focused on the topic of bullying in order to make a change to the culture. They are many ways to create focus, but one powerful way is to have meaningful anti bullying programs in place which will bring to the forefront the importance of this major issue.
5/ Cooperation
You will be amazed at the effect of one single powerful anti bullying program. If done properly, students will begin to see a need for cooperation and they will start to work together to create a sense of community. Cooperation is a goal schools are constantly striving for, and the best way to achieve it is to motive students and staff by helping them understand that they can make a difference.

These are only five reasons why your school needs to have anti bullying programs in place.
Contact ‘Stand Up Now Productions’ at www.standupnow.ca to find out more about our school anti bullying programs.

Does the violence and bullying in The Hunger Games mean it should be rated PG-13?

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Recently I noticed that The Hunger Games has received a PG-13 rating in United States while the new movie, Bully has been rated R for language. I’d like your opinion on those ratings. (U.S. ratings) Shouldn’t a movie that teaches about the reality of the bullying epidemic in our country’s schools be available for our youth to see? Some say The Hunger Games should be rated R.
I have included a teenage girl’s review of The Hunger Games below. Let me know what you think.

THE HUNGER GAMES REVIEW
I consider myself a bit of an expert on the Hunger Games because I have actually read the series four times. I first read them just as they were coming out, waiting many months for each book. I loved the hunger games because the characters were very real. The way Katniss dealt with things was not glorified, it was honest. I think Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Haymitch Abernathy, Cinna, Finnick Odair, President Snow, Primrose Everdeen, Gale Hawthorne and the other characters really stood out to me in that they each had something completely different about them that added to the story. I have always liked futuristic novels, and this series was full of constant suspense and adventures that made it impossible to stop reading.

I think that someone could benefit from reading The Hunger Games by learning how corrupt society can become if we let it. The world has always been full of sin and people should know that it is real and that people can do sadistic and extreme things for power and control. This is represented in the Capital’s domination of the other districts. Throughout the Hunger Games series, however, the reader sees that no matter how strong the Capital appears to be, there are always “chinks in the armour” and opportunities to rebel. This will never happen, though, if no one has the courage and determination to fight.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Hunger Games series as the movie comes out, and some are saying the themes in this series are evil. I do not believe that this is true at all. Yes there is violence and death throughout the books, but most fantasy novels feature this (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, any series, really). The important thing to remember is that these are not children’s books. The Hunger Games books were meant for young adults and should be treated and viewed accordingly. This books do not condone violence, it fights against it.
In my opinion children under the age of 14 should not be allowed to read The Hunger Games. It is not because they are severely inappropriate; it is because although the books really have nothing the kids don’t see in video games, I do not see a child clearly grasping the point of the series. The corruption, romance and rebellion can be much better understood by an older reader as there are some very complicated factors in the novels.

I do not think The Hunger Games series should be made into a movie because many main points and details will be mixed, diluting the series. In my opinion, don’t see the movie, read the books!
Alyssa Jeavons, Student Lord Dorchester Secondary School, Dorchester Ontario Canada Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB)

Bruce Langford, anti-bullying advocate and school presenter www.standupforrespect.com

Simcoe County District School Board School Welcomes Anti-Bullying Speaker, Bruce Langford

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West Bayfield Elementary School in Barrie was our destination today, where we presented ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ and ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies to all students from JK to grade 8. Students were passionate about the topic. They were eager to learn as much as they could about the internet and the dangers of cyberspace. They told stories and acted out scenarios. The Simcoe County District School Board has raised awareness that dangers lurk in cyberspace. Students just wanted to learn the details.

We talked about how GPS encoding is embedded in photographs taken on many cell phones and how it can reveal exactly when the photo was taken. One student told us a story about how his facebook account had been hacked into and the violator set up another facebook account which was an exact duplicate of his own. The student had good news about the outcome. He was actually able to have the offending site removed, because he was able to get into it himself and have it deleted.

We were impressed when we arrived at the school, because students had posted visual artwork on the topic of ‘Caring’ and ‘Stand Up’ and how we can all stand together to trump bullying. I’ve included some of the photos here along with a short video.

Students, teachers and administrators told us how pleased they were with the three contrasting assemblies.

“Presentations were entertaining, insightful, and age appropriate. They were thoroughly enjoyed by all of our students and they learned a great from them. I would highly recommend Bruce’s presentations for any school.”
Mike Geer, Principal, West Bayfield Elementary School, Barrie Ontario

Bruce Langford, Anti-bullying advocate and international speaker presenter: www.brucelangford.ca

Bruce Langford talks bullying on Belleville talk radio CJBQ

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Bullying was the topic. Toronto, Sarnia, Kingston, Collingwood, Kitchener, London and Cambridge talk radio are no match to the Lorne Brooker Show in Belleville today. Can you believe it? A beautiful white swan graceful swam by as we proceeded to broadcast the Lorne Brooker Show live, on the air in Belleville. Listeners from all over Belleville, Trenton, Hastings, Quinte and Prince Edward Counties were tuned in. We talked about bullying as it was in the past. We talked about cyber-bullying and the bystander. We talked about bullying attitudes. The phone lines lit up and our callers told interesting stories about how bullying had touched their lives. Lorne Brooker made thoughtful comments and confidently steered the conversation in an appropriate direction. Callers shared their views about how money should be spent to help reduce bullying in the Belleville-Quinte area. We talked about bullying in the Hastings Prince Edward schools and how a 10-year old girl named Mary had written a letter about her own bullying experiences that touched a nerve with so many in the community. Her mother helped create a brand new organization called Parents Against Childhood Bullying – PACB. The scenery was so beautiful from the fourth floor studio window, yet the subject was disconcerting at times. Solutions to society’s bullying problems are not easily found, but I certainly agree that one of the steps involves community dialogue.
Talk radio is alive and well in Belleville Ontario Canada!

Bruce Langford was in Belleville as a keynote speaker at The Hastings and Prince Edward Human Services and Justice Committee Conference 2012 along with speaker Dr. Bruce Ballon, Head A.C.E.S. for Problem Gambling. Dr. Bruce Ballon was speaking on the topic of Internet Addiction and Mr. Bruce Langford was speaking on the theme of ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

Bruce Langford is an international speaker and presenter on the topic of bullying and cyberbullying www.standupagainstbullying.com

Toronto area elementary school dedicated to student bullying prevention

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Today we visited Trillium Woods Public School in Toronto area (Richmond Hill). Stand Up Against Bullying was presented three times to the various divisions. Students and staff responded with interest and enthusiasm.

Teacher, Kim Moses e-mailed us this immediate positive response:
“Hi Bruce, I just wanted to say thank you again for coming to our school. I was impressed with how each presentation was tailored to the needs and interest level of each division. The presentations were creative and interactive and they certainly captured the attention of the students. Thank you again for addressing such an important topic in such an engaging manner. Take care.
Kimberley Moses, Teacher Trillium Woods Public School, Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Toronto area schools could all learn from how bullying prevention is handled at Trillium Woods School.

I want to share with you, The Trillium Woods Pledge:

At Trillium Woods Public School we respect ourselves, each other and our environment. We are responsible for what we say and do. We feel safe at our school. We speak up for ourselves and for others. We help each other without being asked. At Trillium Woods, nous respectons la diversitè. At Trillium Woods we can succeed.

Trillium Woods Public School is part of the York Region District School Board

Bruce Langford is a teacher, presenter and anti-bullying advocate who delivers talks, presentations and keynotes on the topic of bullying and respect.
www.standupnow.ca

Confidence can be your shield to ward off bullying: 4 Tips

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Today I am offering four tips to protect yourself against bullying behaviors using your own abilities to build confidence.

To grow confidence, here is my advice:
1/ Have a purpose, a project or a goal. You may be surprised how this one tip will help you develop confidence.
2/ Block out negative thoughts and feelings. This can be tough, but we have the ability to control our own thoughts, so make sure they are positive, upbeat and encouraging ones.
3/ Be yourself. Try not to be phony or fake. Know yourself for who you are and don’t try to be something you’re not
4/ Be honest. This is huge. It will help you be yourself but it will also help you to feel good about yourself and be respected by others.

Bruce Langford offers workshops about virtues and bullying prevention – Stand Up Now Productions www.standupnow.ca

Keep your temper in check when dealing with bullying

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Parents of children with emotional problems face extra challenges when dealing with bullying. Extra care must be taken that adults in these situations are not overly harsh in their discipline and that they maintain complete control of their emotions. Mom, Dad and any other care givers should always make sure to keep tempers in check, otherwise the adult-child relationship can become strained very quickly. Consistency is one of the most important factors when dealing with children and this cannot be emphasized too much with children who have emotional problems.

Entertaining, musical assemblies and workshops for children to help beat bullying in schools –
Contact Stand Up Now Productions at:
www.brucelangford.ca or 1-800-901-8831