Defining Bullying

This seems obvious, but when you're trying to have a conversation about an issue, it's important to be talking about the same thing. As Andrea pointed out in her presentation, there are 46 states with anti-bullying laws on their books and every one of them has a different definition of bullying. Connecticut's anti-bullying law has been amended 6 times in the 10 years it has been on the books, and every time the definition of bullying has been changed.

Connecticut's evolving statutory definition of bullying is still much narrower than the definition most parents and students would use. Since the law carries with it legal requirements for recording, reporting, and responding to incidences of bullying, it is understandable that lawmakers sought to carefully and narrowly define the behaviors that would trigger the required responses. But this has caused some misunderstanding and miscommunication within schools.

I would venture to guess that CT's anti-bullying law struck fear in the hearts of some school administrators when it was first enacted and you can understand their perspective. Kids misbehave. Kids can be mean. What might the state's reporting requirements mean for the reputation of their schools or for individual children? No self-respecting principal wants his/her school to be known for the number of bullying incidents that occurred there;  nor does any child-loving principal or teacher want to put the label of bully on a 8 year-old. In many cases, this fear has led school administrators to narrowly interpret an already narrow definition of bullying. While parents and students may talk about bullying in terms of a wide range of behaviors and incidents that upset and concern them, school administrators are carefully measuring complaints against a statutory yardstick that regulates their response. See where the communication begins to break down?
 
The lack of a common definition of bullying has gotten in the way of fruitful conversation about the social and emotional environments in our schools. If we want to do a better job addressing this issue, we need to first get on the same page. That's part of why you'll see the language shifting from bullying prevention to school climate improvement. Shifting the scope of the conversation to school climate may allow us to settle on a narrow, but common, definition of bullying, while still talking broadly about the behaviors and values that characterize school environments which promote learning, growing, and a feeling of safety and belonging.

Next up...CT's School Climate Improvement Law.

Underestimating the Foe - The Denial of Depression

So many times, the stories that are published in the media after the death by suicide of a high profile person exacerbate the public's misunderstanding of suicide. Too often when the media asks the "why" question, they focus on the potential triggers that were perceptible to the outside world, and neglect to look for the root cause which, for 90% of the people who die by suicide, is depression or some other form of mental illness. Here's a link to an important commentary by Dominique Browning that, in my estimation, gets it right:

Mary Richardson Kennedy - The Denial of Depression

Can We Talk?

Exactly a month ago I attended an excellent talk sponsored by the Fairfield PTA Council on school climate improvement and bullying prevention. Andrea Leonardi, Fairfield Public Schools' Director of Special Education and Pupil Services, was the guest speaker and her presentation was very thorough, providing a history of anti-bullying legislation in our state; a review of important definitions; an overview of the district's school climate improvement plan; and an exhaustive list of resources for further reading. The only thing missing? An audience.

Believe me, I get it. I know for a fact that Fairfield is full of compassionate and concerned families, but I also know that Fairfield is full of very busy families. There are just so many places you can be at one time; just so many evenings you can pull yourself away from home for a meeting; just so many issues you can commit your time and energy to. 

But the truth is, we will never get anywhere on the issues of bullying and positive school climate without conversation. If we can't find a way to physically get together to have those conversations, we need to find other ways to communicate. I'm hoping my blog can be one of those other ways.

Over the last three years, I've accumulated a wealth of articles, research, and resources on this and related issues like depression and suicide. I'm going to start sharing all of that on my blog. I hope that this will allow people to learn and exchange ideas, and that the posts will spark conversations in your homes, at the bus stop, in the parking lot, and in the aisles of the grocery store. Maybe through these conversations we will begin to see not only a path to change, but also the growth of a collective commitment to make that change.

I get absorbed in daily life just like everyone else, so my posting is somewhat irregular. If you want to be sure you are seeing new posts, it's probably easiest to subscribe to the blog. Subscribers receive notifications when something new has been posted, so they don't have to worry about missing a post.

So, here's the first installment. The live link below will take you to the Fairfield Public Schools School Climate Improvement page. At the top of that page, you will see a link to Andrea Leonardi's excellent presentation. More to come!

Andrea's Presentation link
(once you get to the page, click on PTAC School Climate Presentation - April 24, 2012)

A Voice for Change

I was so pleased to receive this email from my State Representative earlier this week. In her email she takes the time to recognize that May is Mental Health Awareness Month and provides some links to valuable resources for education and support. Even more significantly, she pledges to use some of her political capital to have an impact on suicide prevention and mental health. This is huge. Elected officials naturally gravitate towards issues that people are talking about, and most people would rather not talk about suicide or mental illness. Yet the impact on individuals and families in our state is devastating. We cannot afford to avoid these issues because they make us uncomfortable.

I am greatly comforted to know that someone is stepping up to spark conversation and lead change. It is my most sincere wish that no other family will have to lose a loved one to suicide.

Contact me... Feel free to contact my office with any question, concern or state-related issue where I can help. BY MAIL: State Rep. Brenda Kupchick Room 4200 Legislative Office Building Hartford, CT 06106 BY PHONE OR FAX (800) 842-1423 (Toll Free) (860) 240-8700 (Local) (860) 240-0207 (Fax) Brenda.Kupchick@cga.ct.gov http://www.repkupchick.com HELPFUL STATE WEB SITES General Assembly Consumer Protection Public Utilities Revenue Services Social Services Veterans Affairs Children & Families Public Health Mental Health, Addiction Transportation Motor Vehicles

Friends, May is Mental Health Awareness month, and I wanted to take a few moments to alert to a very serious and growing problem in our communities. This week, NBC featured a blog post quoting our chief medical examiner's office saying the state's suicide rate has climbed to a 20-year high.  While Connecticut’s suicide rate is still low compared to most other states, we now cope with more than one person committing suicide every day.       Officials say the suicide rate has been rising the past five years, and although it is not clear why, officials believe the economic downturn probably has been a factor.       The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says that 9 of every 10 suicides could have been prevented by proper treatment of the mental disorder. If you, or someone you know, is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please connect to any of these organizations.  They are available around the clock with hotline support and advice on how to assist your friend or family member. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention http://www.afsp.org/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) There is also a new outlet for people who would prefer to communicate via typed words CrisisChat.org I have spent my first term in office working hard to make sure that our students have a safe and comfortable environment to learn in and I have been working with other legislators and families of suicide victims to pursue stronger youth suicide prevention legislation this fall. I promise I will do everything in my power to get this issue highlighted next session if I'm re-elected. Spreading suicide prevention awareness could be the difference between life and death. My heart goes out to all of the families who have had to face this tragedy, and I hope that you pass this email on to your contact lists. Sincerely, Brenda Kupchick State Representative for the 132nd District