"Disable Bullying" U.S. group targets bullying of special needs kids

Glee star Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome, is featured in a video that is part of a campaign to reduce bullying of special needs kids, launched by a coalition of U.S. groups .

The campaign, nicknamed "Disable Bullying", has been developed in response to rising evidence that special needs kids are 2-3 times more likely to be bullied than other kids. As detailed in the report Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, kids with special needs have consistently been identified as more likely to be targeted by bullies at school, in cyberspace and even among siblings.

Disable Bullying is a national campaign in the U.S. aimed at raising awareness of this problem and helping parents to gain the tools to alleviate it.

The campaign expands on five simple steps that parents can use to disable bullying of their special needs kids:

1. Educate
2. Ask Questions
3. Speak Up
4. Build Community
5. Disable Bullying

Wave Against Bullying on CTV News

Here is a link to the story on CTV News about the giant wave against bullying held yesterday which appeared on this blog last week. REACH, PACE, and three other St. Lambert RSB schools participated.

St. Lambert schools plan massive "Wave" against bullying

On Nov 16th, at approximately 11:00 a.m., over 1,000 students from Riverside School Board's St. Lambert schools will be participating in a wave against bullying. Over the past few weeks, some of the students have been involved in performing skits, making posters, listening to testimonials, etc., all to help them realize that bullying hurts and that it is time to do something to stop it.

Student at St. Lambert Elementary, REACH, Chambly Academy, PACE and the Alternate School will be gathering together, shoulder to shoulder, from one end of Green St. to the other. The students and teachers will be participating in the wave as a culminating activity to their campaigns against the harmful effects of bullying.

Organizers have applied for recognition to the Guinness World Records for the event, which will take place rain or shine.

Note: given the current situation with half of the down town streets dug up in St. Lambert, having a student wave running the length of Green should make driving in St. Lambert interesting, to say the least!