Bullying: Teens' Solutions for Schools

Join the America's Young Heroes Project & Become another one of our Model Communities
to 
Prevent Bullying & Promote Respect!  

Here is an example of one sector of a community in Florida that got involved in 

the 11th annual AMERICA'S YOUNG HEROES 

 CONTEST
 implemented by educators and their students.

 VIEW THEIR AWARD WINNING EMPOWERING SOLUTIONS in ART, FILM,POETRY, ESSAY
& BOARD GAMES: 

Artist-Adam

Artist-Erick

Artist-Cheyenne

Artist-Alexis



Emma

Grace

Kaili


Sarah and Alexandra’s video shows how a "victim" of bullies chose to become a "victor" through her own self empowerment:

  

Hailey and Jocelyn’s video also depicted how the"victim" decided to become a "victor" when she realized she didn’t have to change to fit in and asserted: “ I don’t need you guys to make me feel popular:”

Michelle, Hope and Jessica created their video to show the bully’s version of why she ‘acts as if’ she’s a bully; note her initial bully attitude, ‘masked’ in her body language and compare it to her ‘attitude’ of low self esteem at the end.

Jack Canfield, educator, founder of “the Foundation for Self Esteem,” and co-author of the Chicken Soup Book series advises that one of the secrets of success is to start acting like a success before you are one.

In the two stories below, one adult and one student were able to change the attitude of many by emphasizing the strengths rather than the weaknesses of the “victim:”

In Liberty’s story, “One Direction,” thanks to an anonymous caller who witnessed bullying by four classmates, a principal’s solution was to focus on the talents of the bullies and those of their “victim, Harry.” After identifying the mutual musical abilities of all, she instructed them to work, prepare and perform together for the upcoming school talent show. Their success resulted in friendship and respect for each other.

Read the story

In Hannah’s poem, a ‘popular’ high school football player, Malcolm, encouraged the ‘Garbage girl’ aka the president of the Green Team and lead singer of the ‘band of misfits’ labeled as ‘Outcasts’, to perform at the spring dance. 

Had it not been for Malcolm’s recognition and courageous support of the songwriting and musical talents of his peers, they would have continued to be victimized as ‘Orc-Dorks’, ‘creepy Goth’ and ‘total nerds’ rather than applauded and well received by the student body.

Read the poem

In Kailen’s story, “The Strongest Effect,” Meghan, Kenneth’s victim, had a choice: to believe Kenneth’s hurtful words, like “fat,” and “geek,” which rendered her insecure and insignificant or believe her friend’s encouraging words and suggested solution? See if she chose an attitude of self defeat or an attitude of gratitude.

Read the story 

Olivia wrote about Johnny’s courageous choice to assert himself after being cyberbullied and bullied physically and emotionally for many years:  “Stop! Okay? Why are you doing this to me? I have been bullied for most of my life! All I’ve ever wanted was to live a normal life. I don’t like getting beat up; you guys might find it fun, so punch a pillow or something. But stop punching me. I’m done with it! I don’t know why you have the need to bully me. What did I ever do to you? Do you want to be the reason I commit suicide? I’ve actually been thinking about killing myself because of all of you! You would have to live with guilt for the rest of your life! Please stop!”

That whole group didn’t know what to say so the main leader said, “Okay Johnny, we’ll stop. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much it hurt you! Friends?  “Yes!” Johnny exclaimed. The bullies and Johnny shook hands and were now close friends. Since the bullies and Johnny were close, everyone in the school started being nicer to him! It’s what he has always wanted.

Evalee’s story describes the intervention of a friend who told a ‘cool teacher’ of how Callie was beaten, teased and cyberbullied because of her ‘flaming red hair.”  Read the teacher’s decision and the bullies’ change of attitude.

Read this story

Jordan dedicated his video to a 10 year old girl who committed suicide due to bullying; he believes that a bully should be forced to take anger management classes and in the most extreme scenarios be imprisoned.  

Haley and Maddison’s public service announcement is a warning to all bullies that Bullying can Backfire.

Check out “Teens Are Heroes, Too! Challenges, Choices and Character,” an educational resource implemented in schools by teachers to help inspire students to

transform their pain into passion and their tragedies into triumph via award winning art, poetry and essays by, for and about teens. 

This anthology has helped identify each student's talents and passions while increasing self esteem, self respect and respect for each others’ diversities with activities such as “The Peer Identification Questionnaire,” “My Hero Checklist,” “Talents/Skills Survey,” “Hobbies/Interests Survey, “What’s Bugging You?" and "Questions to Think About" 

Check out book and/or CD performed and produced by high school students:
 YouTube Channel/America's Young Heroes 

(all proceeds from the sale of this and previous books benefit the America's Young Heroes contests and programs)

Remember to get involved 

&

Join the America's Young Heroes Project & Become another one of our Model Communities

to  

 PREVENT BULLYING & PROMOTE RESPECT

email: vera@americasyoungheroes.org 
for details
We're proud to share U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch's congratulatory speech before the 112th Congress 





THANK YOU!
America's Young Heroes Educational Outreach

"Empowering Youth to Discover the 'Hero' Within"

YOUNG HEROES OFFER SOLUTIONS ON BULLYING

Facts:

·      Almost 5.7 million youngsters in grades 6-10 experienced some form of bullying according to a National Institutes of Health study

·      About one in five teens who have been bullied contemplate suicide

·      About 160,000 children skip school each day because of intimidation by peers according to the National Education Association

·      Emotional alienation at home can create bullies according to Deborah Prothrowstith, professor of public health at Harvard: “A lot of kids have grief, loss, pain and it’s unresolved.”

Students, Parents, Teachers, Counselors, Social Workers and People throughout our communities:

What are your Solutions to Empower, Inspire, Encourage & Transform

 bullies to become benevolent beings

and victims to become victors ?

Listen & View the 10^th annual America’s Young Heroes contest solutions to prevent bullying & promote respect, by, for and about teens

WHAT IF:

One compassionate/caring, classmate, bystander or friend had intervened as in the award winning video, “Be A Friend:”

Yasmine wrote in “Speak Out,” her award-winning story that “positive actions make positive reactions; negative actions cause negative reactions” and as sociologist Robert Faris discovered in his recent study, “behavior is contagious.”

WHAT IF:

The bullied student in another award winning video, “Meet Me By the Water Fountain …..”, had the courage to tell an adult such as a teacher, principal, counselor  as Allison, a teen poet did and discovered that “one knock on a door opened a new one” for her?

Yasmine, in her story, “Speak Out” told her mom and school dean about being bullied for wearing a hijab, and insisted that they promise to let her take care of the situation herself unless the state of affairs became too big of a problem for her to handle.

And so she sat down with the bullies and explained how they made her feel and why she wears the hijab and how much pride she has for her religion, the hijab and herself. The bullies apologized to her and became her friends and protected her.

WHAT IF:

The bullied teen went to the school police officer as suggested

in the third award winning video, “Always Say No to Bullying?”

“A Picture is worth a thousand words” and

“Music can change the world because it can change people” (Bono)

Check out the award winning music and art in the video, “America’s Young Heroes, 10^th annual Winners” for more solutions to prevent bullying

Andrea’s song, “It is Now” not only describes her pain as a bullied victim in the first stanza but also progresses to self-empowerment, as her solution, in the last stanza:

“Moments in time pass by,

We’re taking back our lives.

We are Standing on our own, and never looking back.

Living with no regrets,

Nothing but happiness

We now know who we are, unveiling the manmade mask.

Years, Days, Minutes, Seconds to overcome

The time has come, and we have won.”

Share your suggested solutions; they can make the difference in the life of a child!!!!!

U.S.Congressman Ted Deutch has ‘dialogued’ about bullying prevention before Congress and America’s Young Heroes award winners and I are honored to have been included in the May, 2011 Congressional Record.

 Let’s Dialogue!!!!

Vera Hirschhorn, M.S. Educational Consultant

Founder, America's Young Heroes Educational Outreach

Prevent bullying & Promote respect! 

Author,Teens Are Heroes, Too! 

Challenges, Choices & Character

vera@americasyoungheroes.org

www.americasyoungheroes.org

‘Empowering Youth to Discover the "Hero" Within’