Bruce Langford talks bullying on Belleville talk radio CJBQ

Bullying was the topic. Toronto, Sarnia, Kingston, Collingwood, Kitchener, London and Cambridge talk radio are no match to the Lorne Brooker Show in Belleville today. Can you believe it? A beautiful white swan graceful swam by as we proceeded to broadcast the Lorne Brooker Show live, on the air in Belleville. Listeners from all over Belleville, Trenton, Hastings, Quinte and Prince Edward Counties were tuned in. We talked about bullying as it was in the past. We talked about cyber-bullying and the bystander. We talked about bullying attitudes. The phone lines lit up and our callers told interesting stories about how bullying had touched their lives. Lorne Brooker made thoughtful comments and confidently steered the conversation in an appropriate direction. Callers shared their views about how money should be spent to help reduce bullying in the Belleville-Quinte area. We talked about bullying in the Hastings Prince Edward schools and how a 10-year old girl named Mary had written a letter about her own bullying experiences that touched a nerve with so many in the community. Her mother helped create a brand new organization called Parents Against Childhood Bullying – PACB. The scenery was so beautiful from the fourth floor studio window, yet the subject was disconcerting at times. Solutions to society’s bullying problems are not easily found, but I certainly agree that one of the steps involves community dialogue.
Talk radio is alive and well in Belleville Ontario Canada!

Bruce Langford was in Belleville as a keynote speaker at The Hastings and Prince Edward Human Services and Justice Committee Conference 2012 along with speaker Dr. Bruce Ballon, Head A.C.E.S. for Problem Gambling. Dr. Bruce Ballon was speaking on the topic of Internet Addiction and Mr. Bruce Langford was speaking on the theme of ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

 

Bruce Langford is an international speaker and presenter on the topic of bullying and cyberbullying www.standupagainstbullying.com

Hastings, Prince Edward Counties – Verbal & Physical Bullying To End

A 10-year old girl in Belleville Ontario is taking a stand against bullying at her school. She says verbal and physical attacks toward her have been ongoing and she has had enough. She wrote a letter explaining details about the bullying she has been experiencing. She says she spends recess in the kindergarten room because nobody will play with her, and explains that she feels alienated and dejected. Her mother believes that the school staff is not protecting her daughter.
These are certainly serious allegations. Although I don’t know all the details surrounding the situation, I have a few suggestions to hopefully calm the waters.
1. I encourage the girl’s parents to set up a meeting with the teacher. Have a list of concerns to address and suggested outcomes. Take notes. Insist on a specific plan of action.
2. After 5 days, re-evaluate the situation. Has the bullying stopped? Has the situation improved? If not, set up a meeting with the principal and make a written plan. Set a date for a follow-up meeting to talk about whether or not things have improved. No child should feel unsafe at school.
3.  Ask to see the bullying prevention action plan set out by the school. Ask what initiatives have been put into place to encourage respect and reduce bullying. Insist that you are looking out for the well-being of your child.

Do not give up. Continue to connect with the teacher or administrators to carry out the plan of action. If the plan of action is not working, insist on an alternative. Be aware of the Hasting and Prince Edward District School Board’s commitment to providing caring, safe, respectful and inclusive learning environments for all students.  Do your best to remain calm and professional, yet strong with your assertions that your child be provided with the caring, safe and respectful environment referred to by the school board.
I will be most interested in the outcome of this situation and am optimistic it will come to a positive conclusion for all involved.

Bruce Langford provides bullying prevention programs for schools. www.brucelangford.ca

 

Take a stand , make a change – stop the culture of bullying

Virgin Islands Sunset

Here is a bullying acronym – Ways to turn bullying around:
Beautiful person that has a
Unique personality and can be a
Loyal friend also
Loving & caring so
Youth stand up for your rights and
Individuals take a stand
Never give up on yourself and
Grow your confidence.

Never give up – keep on being strong.
Stand Up Against Bullying!
This acronym was created by students at the United States Virgin Islands Youth Summit 2012 under the leadership of Bruce Langford www.brucelangford.ca

 

I pledge to stop bullying and not be a bystander (St. Thomas V.I.)

A student report:
Today we went to the U.S. Virgin Islands Youth Summet at SugarBay Resort and Spa. There were about 300 5th and 6th graders. We are all from the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education Schools.
We watched BennyDL go live on ATFM radio broadcasting directly from SugarBay Resort. He talked to callers, sang songs and talked about bullying prevention. BennyDL is a DJ but his real name is Bruce Langford.
Later we watched videos & talked about the issues related to bullying. We got into groups with students from other schools. Some of us made up poems and songs about bullying and what to do. Some of us made up role-plays and skits about bullying. Some groups presented to everyone.
We put our ideas together into one pledge we believed in. The pledge we came up with is simple:

Our Stop Bullying Pledge
I pledge to stop bullying and not be a bystander.
I will lend a helping hand to others to help keep our communities safe.

Students from 7^th to 12^th grade also met and came up with the following vow:

The U.S. Virgin Islands Anti-bullying Vow
We solemnly vow to abolish bullying!
We hereby declare we will use our courage and strength
to not be a bystander,
but instead be a leader, take action and to take a stand.School Speaker

Bruce Langford is an international presenter and anti-bullying advocate   www.brucelangford.ca

Determination, self-confidence and courage can stamp out bullying in U.S. Virgin Islands

Use determination and courage to stamp out bullying. Confidence and willpower can be strong forces when dealing with cruelty and the students here in the U.S. Virgin Islands know how to use their confidence to their advantage. It is important to be strong and stand up against meanness. Students must be willing to lead by example and show others they won’t put up with bullying. It is imperative for teachers to be on-board and to be willing to take a stand against bullying as well. We can all make a difference by using our inner strength and self-confidence to our advantage. Always keep your safety in the forefront of your mind. Your safety should be your first concern.
The students at Prophecy Academy in the United States Virgin Islands understand that their level of confidence can have a direct impact on the amount of bullying that takes place. We must all be strong and willing to help each other in our universal community. Just watch the video below, and you will see strong minded, confident youth who believe in themselves and are empowered by God to make a difference.
Just remember; Stand Up Against Bullying and take a stand!

School workshops, seminars and keynote talks by Bruce Langford, the Stand Up Against Bullying Guy www.standupagainstbullying.com

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 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 http://www.standupagainstbullying.com

 

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

Nov 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’.

He 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.
Jennifer 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.
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 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

Education 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

 Madoc 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. Education week is a great time to focus on bullying prevention. Just remember the 5 Key Strategies to Stop Bullying Behaviours.

http://www.standupagainstbullying.com/

Safe At Schools Conference at Nobleton Senior Public School, Greater Toronto

Stand Up Now featured Bruce Langford as the keynote presenter at Nobleton’s 4^th annual Safe At Schools Conference on Monday.

Principal, Ms. Nancy Redmond gave a warm welcome to the students to launch the day’s activities at Nobleton. The students from Nobleton Junior Public School were guests for the day as they participated in crafts, workshops and the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies featuring student dramas, videos and student interaction.
The grade 6, 7 & 8 ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ presentation was geared directly to the intermediate level with stories and discussion which the students could relate to. It also included scenarios acted out by the students as well as life-like situations depicted in video clips.
Following the presentation, a number of intermediate students rushed to the front to find out more information from presenter, Bruce Langford.

A bullying prevention tip that was key in the presentation revolved around declaring Nobleton a bullying free zone by having the grade 6,7 & 8 students take a vow to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’.

Tip: Resolve to take action when you see a bullying situation.

Nobleton Public School is a school where students definitely will take action as they ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’. We thank the students, administrators, and organizer, Ms. Deborah Godin, for a warm welcome to Nobleton and a truly rewarding day with your students!

Ontario Kids Get Bullying Help at Kids Help Phone

Our ‘Stand Up Now’ workshops encourage bullied children to talk to a trusted adult about feelings and issues. Express yourself and don’t keep frustration and hurt inside. Tell someone!

We also say, if you don’t have a trusted person to talk with, call ‘Kids Help Phone’ at 1-800-668-6868.
The Kids Help Phone website at http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/ helps you with topics like:

Bullying – Being bullied? Don’t keep it inside. Tell someone.
Violence & abuse
Feelings
The internet
Money
My Body
Friends
Dating
Express yourself – Your space to write letters, share stories, and get stuff off your chest.

The Kids Help Phone Promise is here:
“We are here to help you, not get you into trouble. When you call us, you don’t have to tell us your name, address or phone number.”

We encourage you to call Kids Help Phone if you need to talk about a bullying situation.
‘Stand Up Now’ School Programs www.standupagainstbullying.com

Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander



Garden Avenue Junior School, Toronto

Garden Avenue Public School, Toronto is a respectful school filled with great kids who understand the meaning of community. These students look out for each other and encourage each other. They understand the importance of speaking up. They know a bystander is a person who sees or hears mean things, but does nothing about it. Don’t be a bystander, do something if you see meanness. Talk to the person later, tell a teacher or encourage your friends to do the right thing.

 

The majority of Garden Avenue Junior School students know to …

Be an Upstander, not a bystander!

A story from an anonomous contributor: 

It happened nearly twenty years ago.

I saw him do it. I witnessed it with my own eyes.

He knew I saw him, but then afterwards, I swore I saw nothing.

I was afraid. I thought I should keep quiet. I thought that would support my friend.

 

I was wrong.

Living a lie is never the right thing to do.

I could have quietly gone to a trusted adult and reported what I saw.

It would have been the right thing to do. It would have been the responsible, respectable thing to do.

 

We shared a story with the Garden Avenue students today. The story was about a girl who felt terrible about someone she had bullied at a past school. She decided to do something about it. She decided to share her message with the world, about how awful a person can feel who has actually bullied someone.

Garden Avenue students obviously felt empathy for the girl as we shared the story.

Be caring. Be sensitive. Be empathetic. Be an upstander, not a bystander!

Stand Up Against Bullying, whenever you can.

Garden Avenue Junior Public School Principal, Ms. Martha Peterson constantly encourages her students to show respect, make the right choices, and be ‘upstanding’ citizens. Be inspired by Garden Avenue; be an upstander!

 

 

 

Earnscliffe Step Team Performs at Bullying Prevention Parent Presentation

EST = Earnscliffe Step Team

E S T – Earnscliffe Step Team
Amazing confidence. Precise rhythms. Spectacular showmanship.
This describes the Earnscliffe Step Team from Earnscliffe Senior Public School in

Earnscliffe Step Team Logo

 Brampton, Ontario.

They came to perform. Parents came to be entertained by the step team and to learn how to deal with bullying from guest speaker, Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions.

An audience of over eighty-five watched videos, listened to stories, and cheered on the student actors who performed anti-bullying role plays.

Dealing with bullying requires the same kind of discipline, confidence and respect shown by the members of the Earnscliffe Step Team.

 D C R – Discipline Confidence Respect
All are needed to ‘Stand Up For Respect’ and do something, rather than just being a bystander.

Earnscliffe Senior Public School

Encourage others at your school the way Earnscliffe students encourage their Step Team!
That spirit of encouragement will grow into more confidence and more respect.
As visitors to Earnscliffe, this is the kind of respect we experienced from Vice-Principal, Claudio Moschella and Earnscliffe Principal, Gursh Budwal. Keep up the great work, Earnscliffe students and staff!

PRO Grant Money Used by Parent Council to Benefit all Students at Peel School

PRO Grant Money (Parents Reaching Out) is provided by the government of Ontario to benefit schools and school children all across Ontario. Caledon East Public School has made wise use of their PRO Grant money. They sponsored a Stand Up To Bullying Day with speaker/presenter Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions.

Bruce Langford presented his interactive ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies for all the students of the school. Later, the students brought parents back to learn about the internet, cyber-safety and bullying prevention. The parent session was called ‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’.  
Parent Council Chair, Mrs. Jan McFadyen, felt the money was well spent.  More than twenty-five families attended the evening session, representing a good percentage of the school population. Some of the comments made by parents following the presentation were:

“Excellent information and a great way to present it!”

“Bruce made the presentation very interesting and easy to follow.”

“This format kept the interest of both parents and children. Wow!”

“I’ve seen student presentations and I’ve seen parent presentations, but I’ve never seen a successful combination like Bruce achieved tonight.” Mrs. Laurie Allison, Principal, Caledon East Public School.   

Caledon East students work together to achieve a sense of community. They care about each other, their teachers, and their building. They are eager to learn about bystanders and strategies to stand up against bullying. Caledon East is a caring community of people who show respect to each other. Thanks for sharing, Caledon East!
Book programs for your school. Invite Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions. He will present assemblies specifically designed for each division. Website: www.standupagainstbullying.com