Tag Archives: bullying prevention

Global National News, 16 Year Old Impersonates a Toronto Teen on Facebook

Global Television, Toronto

A sixteen-year-old has been charged in Toronto with 2 counts of impersonation. The 16 year old student allegedly set up a Facebook account using a false identity and sent disparaging remarks to the friends of the victim. He apparently carried this on for 11 months.

As an anti-bullying advocate, I was requested by Global News to comment as part of the story which aired Friday night. I was asked if I felt it was reasonable for a 16 year old to be charged with such a crime. I remarked that a 16 year-old must take responsibility for his actions. When asked about cyber-bullying, I commented that as a society we all have a responsibility to help our youth stay safe on-line. www.Reppler.com is one web site where an individual can manage their on-line identity.

For more information on cyberbullying safety visit www.brucelangford.ca

Burlington School in Halton Region Hosts Stand Up Against Bullying Assemblies

Mrs. Cynthia Bate, Principal of Maplehurst Public School in Burlington Ontario is serious about teaching her students respect and bullying prevention. The students found the Stand Up To Bullying Assemblies engaging and fun. They learned important concepts about how to deal with bullying behaviours.

The Maplehurst School Pledge is a testament to the importance of respect to the students and staff at Maplehurst School.

Maplehurst PS Pledge BurlingtonMaplehurst Pledge

I will show respect for myself and others
I will be responsible for my actions
I will behave in a truthful manner
I will appreciate and accept people’s differences
I will treat others as I wish to be treated
I will work hard to achieve my goals
I will make the right choices even when they are unpopular
I will seek help when someone is in trouble
I have hope for the future
I will seek opportunities for improvement
I will stand up for what is right.

 Stand Up Against Bullying School Assemblies
1-800-901-8831 www.standupagainstbullying.com

 Maplehurst PS Burlington Ontario

6 Ways To Stand Up Against Bullying During Bullying Awareness Week in Ontario

Bullying Prevention LogoNov 13 to Nov 19 is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week. The theme is ‘Stand Up To Bullying’. You can ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ by getting actively involved. Here are some things you can do:

  1. Write a song and share it with your family, school, radio station or You-Tube
  2. Talk to an expert and find out ways you can volunteer with their organization
  3. If you are a student, talk to your student council rep about having a ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ day at your school
  4. If you are employed at a school,  start a poster campaign to raise awareness
  5. If you are being bullied – talk to someone; write about it and then try to make changes in your life so the bullying will stop.
  6. If you bully people, take a vow to stop this destructive behaviour – it not only hurts others, it hurts you.

 Together, we can all help stop bullying!
Visit www.standupagainstbullying.com

Winston Churchill and how to Stand Up Against Bullying Using 5 Key Character Traits

Winston Churchill was a man known for his strong character traits. When we talk about ways to beat bullying, just imagine how Winston Churchill would have done his part to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

Winston ChurchillHe had
COURAGE. He was willing to move forward regardless of whether the majority of people agreed with him or not. That kind of courage requires an underlying
CONFIDENCE that is gained from experience and strength of character. Confidence can also be built through self-talk, study and
DETERMINATION. Think of a laser beam pointing in one specific direction and never wavering from its target. That is like the determination of Winston Churchill when he became Prime Minister at the age of sixty-five. It is also like the determination of a person who is focusing on making the world a better place by eliminating bullying. Winston Churchill also had tremendous
PERSEVERANCE as he wasn’t willing to give up easily. His perseverance helped him move through his election defeat in 1945 when he was voted out by the same people he had earlier led to victory. In spite of that defeat, he remained grounded and stayed on as leader of the opposition. Later he was elected as prime minister again in 1950.

Think of Churchill and these four character traits when you deal with bullying situations. What would Churchill have done? Would he have given up, or continued to persevere?

We visited Winston Churchill Public School in Chatham yesterday and were impressed with the students and the serious attitude they had in regard to Standing Up Against Bullying. Principal, Leslie Boulton was very pleased with the three assemblies and told us they were “even better than our last visit to her school”. That was when she was principal at Harwich Raleigh Public School (Lambton Kent District School Board) in 2005.
Remember to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

Blenheim Neighbourhood Watch Hosts Anti-Bullying Speaker, Bruce Langford

Bullying will decrease when everyone starts to care. That is the belief of the Blenheim Neighbourhood Watch Group which started looking for a guest speaker on the topic last spring. Kim Dagenais is the president of the group and was instrumental in locating a speaker with experience and knowledge in the field of bullying prevention. Bruce has been presenting workshops in Ontario for a number of years.

The information covered in the Neighbourhood Watch workshop was cyberbullying, family dynamics, facebook and how to cope with tough bullying situations.

Here is a tip that Bruce shared during the talk in Blenheim:

Sit with your children and discuss the ground rules for internet use in your home. Talk with your family about expectations on the web and regarding the use of cell phones.

This tip can make a big difference later, if a complicated challenge arises involving cyberbullying.
Visit Blenheim Neighbourhood Watch on Facebook!

Bruce Langford does talks and presentations across Ontario on the topic of bullying and cyberbullying. He can be contacted at 1-800-901-8831 or through ‘Stand Up Now Productions’.

Bullying Prevention Assemblies in Windsor Focus on Confidence

“Confidence.”

That word is the one many students identified with in today’s grade 6, 7, & 8 school presentation in Windsor called ‘Stand Up For Respect’.

The Crusaders believe in confidence to help eliminate bullying

“No matter how bad it gets – confidence.”
If only we could instil this belief in everyone. Don’t we all lack confidence at some point? Don’t we all feel defeated or discouraged at one time or another?
I believe the answer is yes. If this is true, then we can do things to encourage others when they are lacking confidence.
“Determination – it will get you through.
Absolute belief in all you do.
Certainty and trust can do it for you.
Hang in – trust in yourself.”

 Use the above words to be inspired. Remember that having true determination really can get you through the tough times. How do you have absolute belief in all you do? Start by mapping out a plan for your life. Set goals. Not vague or general goals, but real and specific goals that are measurable.
Rather than deciding you want to have more money, decide how much money you want to have by a certain date. Then do what you can to go about meeting that goal. Remember that goals don’t need to be about money or material wealth.
Here’s a tip. Don’t set your goal too low. Your goal can be practically anything that is even remotely reasonable. You may think it sounds nearly impossible, but the more you think about it, the more possible it will become.
Thousands of people have set goals and accomplished them. Using your own confidence, you too can achieve a similar kind of success.
Confidence!
“Don’t expect perfection in all you.
Remind yourself your best is awesome for you.
Tell yourself you’re doing fine, you’ll get through
Listen, listen to YOU.”

Confidence. Let it work for you!

Townsend Community Policing Committee Hosts Bullying Event

A seminar on bullying and elder abuse took place today at the Townsend Community Church in Townsend, Ontario. Guest speaker, Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions began the day with a talk about how we can stop bullying behaviours in our schools and communities. A short question and answer period followed the talk, which included a powerpoint presentation and videos.
Bullying Prevention in Haldimand-NorfolkJennifer Schooley, was the second speaker of the day. She is from “Name It 2 Change It”, which is a community bullying prevention initiative sponsored by Haldimand Norfolk R.E.A.C.H. Jennifer’s excellent and informative presentation made it clear that she is passionate about youth and bullying prevention.
Ed Lum, from the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse was the last speaker. His talk was a very thoughtful look at the many aspects of elder abuse including physical, psychological, neglect and financial. His presentation included a detailed look at some specific cases of elder abuse.
Thanks to David Welch and the Townsend Community Policing Committee for hosting an excellent seminar!

Safe Schools Concert Assembly for Toronto Elementary Students

Just visited Grenoble Public School near Toronto, where we performed a Safe Schools Concert before a whole gym full of enthusiastic students. We sang about ways to support and encourage each other in every-day situations.
Encourage Each Other Students learned real life examples about how to encourage others and end up having a safer school. Cyber-safety and the internet was one of the concert themes as well. The song ‘Stay Safe’ explains that computers connected to the internet need to be in a central place in your home, like a kitchen or family room where everyone goes. It also teaches that personal information should not be published on-line. Here are some of the song lyrics:

Stay Safe    ©Written by Bruce Langford

Your address is personal information, stay safe, stay safe;
Your phone number and your school name too.
Do not share personal information.
Not in on-line conversation.
Keep things private, no hesitation,
Stay safe, stay safe, just some friendly advice.

 At home play computer in a central place, stay safe, stay safe;
A kitchen or a family room where everyone goes.
Share what you’re doing with your family.
Work at the screen where all can see.
Then you will have help when a problem comes up,
Stay safe, Stay safe, just some friendly advice.

Remember to work together and do the right things to make your school a safer place.

School Character Education Assemblies Feature Anti-Bullying Advice

“Walk with confidence and build a group of friends you can count on.”

This is part of the advice given by Benny DL (Bruce Langford) during a recent assembly near London, Ontario.  Students rushed to the front to ask their own questions and meet the presenter. They crowded around, not leaving until teachers finally cleared the gym.
“That was a terrific assembly”, a grade eight student commented. “I really learned a lot of stuff from what he said.”

cyber-bullying text messageCyber-bullying and internet safety was part of the topic along with how to deal with sticky situations without ending up in trouble.
Here is one more piece of advice: Think twice before you pass on information that might be sensitive. I recently was nearly lured into telling something that I fully believed to be true.  After finding out the facts, I was totally glad I hadn’t spoken up and shared this information that actually turned out to be sensitive. Just remember, Stand Up – Cyberbullying’s Got 2 Go!
Book assemblies for your school at www.standupagainstbullying.com

Education Week Assemblies in Toronto Feature 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours

Madoc Drive School SignEducation Week at Madoc Drive Public School was celebrated today with bullying prevention assemblies by Bruce Langford of ‘Stand Up Now Productions’.
The students were filled with enthusiasm as DJ, Benny DL went live on ATFM Radio. He talked about 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours.

  1. Ignore the Bullying Behaviour (sometimes the person is just trying to get attention)
  2. Say ‘Please Leave Me Alone’ (Say it in a confident way, but only once)
  3. Tell a Parent, Teacher or other Trusted Adult
  4. Get Friends to Help You
  5. Show your Confidence

 Front Foyer at Madoc Drive SchoolMadoc students acted out real-life scenarios and participated in songs. A student came up afterwards commenting about the ‘great music and awesome video’. Madoc Principal, Mr. Tim Peterson makes sure students set exellent examples to inspire others. Logo for Education WeekEducation week is a great time to focus on bullying prevention. Just remember the 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours.

http://www.standupagainstbullying.com/