News from Our Executive Director

Bullying in schools is as old as any problem that plagues schools, and yet it is one of those cases that receive the least amount of attention. The air of denial is sometimes so pronounced that some schools brand themselves as "bully free" institutions. In the end, these downplayed incidents leave victims traumatized and scarred for many years while the culprits gain more confidence to continue with their evil deeds.

Physical abuse, taunting, and exclusion of the victim from popular groups and pasttimes are some symptoms of bullying in schools. The victims are usually those students who are typically insecure, branded as "nerds", and lack a circle of friends.

Although most victims of bullying in schools are too meek to take matters into their own hands, a few of them can be pushed to certain critical limits. Shooting incidents such as the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre have raised speculations that bullying in schools can lead to dire consequences.

Even if the connection between bullying and that specific incident has been subject to much debate, the connection between bullying and dire consequences isn’t in doubt. A study showed that 60% of identified bullies during their grade 6-9 years eventually got involved in at least one criminal conviction by age 24. Clearly it's a problem that builds to later consequences, and something has to be done to prevent it, to stop bullies as early as possible.

We have a powerful potential in out youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends. -Mary McLeod Bethune

Our focus for the month of august will be launching our TAV program. Teens Against Violence is a 7-week course aimed to educating our youth on the prevention of violence in schools, community and workplaces. The 7-week program will offer many different hands-on workshops that will be fun and exciting while being very informative. Speakers will be there at each workshop to answer questions and to help with understanding the importance of the subject taught. The classroom has a no nonsense attitude and respect for each student and attendance is mandatory in order to graduate into our 6-week internship program. This program will help the youth to understand the importance of working together and will give them the opportunity to work on special projects in the community while helping and providing peer-to-peer mentoring.

I am so excited about this program because we as a community must work together for the good of all. Would it not be nice for the city in which we all live in put together funding just for a program like this!!! I know we have to put millions of dollars into the roads and finishing roads that have been unfinished for year, but it would be a great idea if some money could be given to a program like this one, a program so very much needed and that can help stop violence. While I am not setting out to try to stop violence completely (because i cannot do that alone), I can make a dent in it. I am asking that people all over give to this program and help get our youth think about positive things and change behaviors and old habits. Won't you join with me to try?

Please contact us if you wish to contribute to this important program. We're also looking for a youth violence committee in each city. Any youth interested in joining, please contact us and include your name, phone number, and city you live along with what you can do to change your city's way of thinking.

The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it. - Bill Cosby