Simcoe County District School Board School Welcomes Anti-Bullying Speaker, Bruce Langford

West Bayfield Elementary School in Barrie was our destination today, where we presented ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ and ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies to all students from JK to grade 8. Students were passionate about the topic. They were eager to learn as much as they could about the internet and the dangers of cyberspace. They told stories and acted out scenarios. The Simcoe County District School Board has raised awareness that dangers lurk in cyberspace. Students just wanted to learn the details.

We talked about how GPS encoding is embedded in photographs taken on many cell phones and how it can reveal exactly when the photo was taken. One student told us a story about how his facebook account had been hacked into and the violator set up another facebook account which was an exact duplicate of his own. The student had good news about the outcome. He was actually able to have the offending site removed, because he was able to get into it himself and have it deleted.

We were impressed when we arrived at the school, because students had posted visual artwork on the topic of ‘Caring’ and ‘Stand Up’ and how we can all stand together to trump bullying. I’ve included some of the photos here along with a short video.

Students, teachers and administrators told us how pleased they were with the three contrasting assemblies.

“Presentations were entertaining, insightful, and age appropriate. They were thoroughly enjoyed by all of our students and they learned a great from them. I would highly recommend Bruce’s presentations for any school.”
Mike Geer, Principal, West Bayfield Elementary School, Barrie Ontario

Bruce Langford, Anti-bullying advocate and international speaker presenter: www.brucelangford.ca

 

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a vow to Stand Up Against Bullying

St. Patrick’s Day 2012 is upon us so I decided to google Irish Bullying tips.
What I learned was shocking.
25 per cent of Irish students in Irish secondary schools are bullied according to the website bully4u dot ie. One in four or 175,000 youth in Irish high schools are victims of bullying. The website states: “the evolution of modern communication technologies combined with the increasing integration of our multicultural society has led to such new dynamics as cyberbullying and racist bullying in addition to the more traditional forms.”

The site goes on to encourage adult intervention in bullying incidents. It tells us that it is important for adults to let students know that aggressive behaviour is inappropriate. “Whether you are a bystander, parent or schoolteacher, there are steps you can take to ensure that children are kept safe and that their dignity is respected.”

As we celebrate St. Patrick’s day around the world, make a vow to ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ and make a difference by empowering yourself and others to act against bullying behaviour.

Bruce Langford is an international speaker and anti-bullying advocate
www.BruceLangford.ca   www.StandUpAgainstBullying.com

 

 

 

Monitoring software alternative will reduce cyber-bullying in school children

 

Monitor children's web time

Cyber-bullying has become such a concern with parents that many are looking for ways to monitor their children’s activities while on-line.
I recommend limiting the amount of time your children are on the web, and stay nearby while they are surfing. Show interest in what they are doing and encourage them to ask questions if they are not sure about something. Keep their on-line experience positive.
Be supportive and upbeat about the internet. It has tremendous potential as a tool for learning as well as powerful social benefits.
If you still feel it is necessary to use software monitoring, here are some suggestions:
SpytechSpyagent.com
WebWatcher.com
SpectorPro.com  Learn about the above monitoring products before purchasing them. Read some reviews and understand that these tools have the potential to be misused. Use them with care and realize the best parental monitoring is simply being there.

www.StandUpForRespect.com
Bruce Langford is an anti-bullying advocate who presents talks and presentations on bullying and cyber-bullying

Youth Summit 2012 U.S. Virgin Islands Stand Up Against Bullying

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.

Be determined to reach your goals,
Have confidence, strength, belief
Power and stand up for your rights
Self-esteem might cause you to break
But you can always talk it out with a friend
Be strong, have courage and fight for your rights …
Cyber-bullying is not the way to go!!

Bullying
To come against bullying
We need power, determination and confidence
It affects you, it affects me and even society
It lead to destruction and something we can’t run from

Bullying
Determine to stand up for what is right … no matter the fight (bullying, verbal abuse)
We have the courage and the power to choose and decide the right reaction to a negative action.
No matter the content of your insults,We have the confidence to determine the results.
No matter the argument or the fight,
Once it’s against bullying, it’s always right.

What you have read above are samples of the work of seventh to twelfth graders; students in the United States Virgin Islands Department of Education Schools at their Stand Up Against Bullying Youth Summit, 2012 with presenter, Bruce Langford.

We created the island declaration against bullying seen at the top of the page.
Bravo students!!!! You should be proud.

Bruce Langford is currently in the U.S. Virgin Islands doing school presentations on the topic of bullying at the Stand Up Against Bullying Youth Summit 2012.
Visit his website at www.standupagainstbullying.com

Advice: Grow self-confidence and learn how to avoid bullying

Bullying can often be prevented by having a well developed level of self-confidence. In fact, studies have led people to believe that confidence is the single most important quality to help you avoid being bullied. However, there is a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance. People who are arrogant and cocky tend to be that way in one area of their lives and when they move into a different environment, they no longer have the ability to appear confident. Doubt yourself for a second, and people will be able to pick up on that momentary self-doubt.
Make up your mind to learn as much as you can about self-confidence and how to achieve it. You will learn that self-confidence comes from many sources such as personal experience, background and your ability to control your thought processes.
Let us know what you have learned about self-confidence. Share a comment and we’ll all learn a little more about this incredibly important topic.

We share tips about confidence in our ‘Stand Up For Respect’ assemblies designed specifically for school audiences. www.StandUpForRespect.com

6 Safe Strategies to Make Friends Now (and prevent being bullied later)

Here are some great ideas for making friends quickly.

(Good friends can help you through tough situations like bullying)

 

1/ Say ‘hello’ to lots of people even including people you don’t know very well.

2/ Smile at people. It makes them feel warm and fuzzy.

3/ Give compliments to at least three people a day.

4/ Help people out as much as you can. Go ahead, you can think of lots of ways.

5/ Share. That might mean those Choco-Berry treats you just got, or even your gym shorts.

6/ Use good manners. Being polite can make others really feel special.

 

Something as simple as the above proven strategies for making friends can help make sure you avoid being bullied.

Practices the ideas above and you will start to develop great people skills. Who knows, you may even become one of those kids that everybody just wants to hang out with.

 

Stand Up Against Bullying School Assemblies that have lasting effect.

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

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

Can facebook lead to depression, suicide, murder?

A study in the American Academy of Pediatrics says when teens spend hours on social networking sites they can start comparing themselves to others. That can lead to depression in certain

Girls comparing friends lists on Facebook

personalities. The study states: “The intensity of the online world may be a factor leading to depression in some adolescents.”

I recently visited a school where 25 of 27 students in a grade 5 class were active on facebook.

Children that young don’t have the skills to deal with complex relational issues which can arise on social networking sites like facebook.
Parents need to be aware of what children are doing on-line. If you are a parent and are allowing your young children to be active on social networking, at least be on their friend list so you can keep tabs on what is happening.
Some children become devastated as a result of social networking incidents. That can lead to depression, suicide, bullycide or even murder.

Monday, we presented our ‘Cyberbullying – Got To Go’ assemblies at St. Bernadette Catholic School in Toronto (Mississauga). Those children have learned how to stay safe on-line and have received practical tips and advice on cyber-safety.
For information about our programs, visit http://www.brucelangford.ca

Toronto Middle School Welcomes Cyberbullying Guest Speaker, Bruce Langford at their Annual Safe And Caring Schools Student Conference

Willowdale Middle School in Toronto featured their Annual Safe and Caring Schools Student Conference today. Bruce Langford started the day by presenting a session to grade 6 and 7 students called ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’. The presentation was about how to stand up against cyberbullying. The Children’s Peace Theatre presented a hands-on workshop at the same time with grade 8 students. Willowdale Middle School students did a skit about how some kids feel pressured to have lots and lots of ‘friends’ on social network sites like Facebook. The girl in the skit told her friend to ‘just add random people so you don’t look like a loser’. She did decide to add someone she didn’t know, and was taking the risk that it could turn out to be an internet predator. In another skit, the police got involved when someone turned out to be posing as someone else online. Students were tuned in to the role-plays and commented about their effectiveness.

Willowdale Principal, Mrs. Angela Caccamo said: “Bruce Langford’s Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies were excellent. I will spread the word to my colleagues.”

The point was made that every middle school student can do something to make sure that cyberbullying does not exist and grow in a school environment. We can all agree; Cyberbullying’s Got 2 Go! Contact Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 (www.atfm.ca) for more information.

Inspirational School Sponsors Stand Up To Bullying Assemblies in Waterloo Board

Woodland Park has spirit! Here is the proof. Everywhere you look you are inspired with displays, slogans, quotes and murals. Even more inspirational than that are the warm vibrations you get from the staff and students. Everyone works together at Woodland Park to make sure the positive feeling is alive. Here are some of the messages we read when we arrived at the school to present our ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies.
No matter who you are,
Or where you’re from
Your future is up to you!
Experience the power of community.
Open hearts and open minds.
LIVE A PERFECT DAY.
DO SOMETHING KIND FOR SOMEONE
WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPAY YOU.
Every day, try to be a little kinder than necessary.
Principal, Mrs. Ogilvie, takes great pride in the amount of school spirit present within these walls. Cooperation, joy, kindness, caring and hope. These are all attributes that matter in school. They are all present at Woodland Park School. Teachers, children, administration and support staff all work together to achieve happiness and peace at Woodland Park. Children thrive when they feel the powerful positive vibes in their environment like those present at Woodland Park.
Woodland Park Public School in Cambridge is an inspiring school!
Woodland Park, Home of the Bears, sponsored Cyberbullying Prevention Assemblies by Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions. Principal, Mrs. Ogilvie said “the feedback was excellent and the messages were exactly what we were hoping for!”

How friends can reduce cyber-bullying at Howard Public School, Toronto

Students at Howard Public School in Toronto have their own ideas about how to stand up against bullying. They believe that their friends can help them and that people should stand by their friends. We talked about ways that people can support each other and how you sometimes need to talk with a teacher, a parent or another trusted adult. We saw a role-play about how bystanders can help. We talked about a video that encouraged empathy.

Howard Public School Outdoor Mosaic Mural

Principal, Mrs. Rosanna Sardella spoke highly of our ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies and said she would encourage other schools to host the assemblies.
Bruce Langford’s school assemblies are available for students from kindergarten to grade 8. www.standupagainstbullying.com

Remember, friends can stand up for each other. That can help reduce bullying!

Cyber-bullying & Cyber-safety Workshops for Elementary Students get high marks

St. Benedict Catholic School, Orangeville (Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board) welcomed Bruce Langford, of Stand Up Now Productions.
Principal, Mr. Gregory Krar was very pleased with the ‘Cyberbullying – Got 2 Go’ assemblies. “These assemblies were exactly what we wanted for our students. Bruce Langford made the topic of cyberbullying interesting and entertaining for our students. The videos and role-plays made the messages easy to understand.” Mr. Krar was just as pleased with the Stand Up Now workshops when they were presented at his last school, St. Andrew Catholic School in Orangeville.

Students got involved in the dialogue, with one student warning others about the potential dangers of web cams. He explained how your computer can be hacked and the hacker can actually see what your web cam is seeing.
One student said she would use the tip about including numbers or symbols in passwords.
We were impressed with the students at St. Benedict. They really took this topic of cyberbullying and cyber-safety seriously. They interacted positively and were respectful audiences.

‘Be Kind On-Line’ Beat Cyberbullying Song

Here is a song we put together to help people learn how to beat cyberbullying and stay safe online. It is called:

“Be Kind On-Line” and the music & lyrics are by Bruce Langford. The song is copyright 2008. The words are below.

1. Online chatting, text messages and e-mails

This is how we check on social details

Try to be friendly, don’t put people down

This is my advice – now spread it around.

Be kind, online.

 

2. Words you use on line are not as private as you think

Stuff that you sent can be found out in a wink

Screens can be printed, captured or saved

You could get in trouble for the way you behaved.

Be kind, online.

 

3. If you show true respect for other people online

You’re showing how we all should be all the time

It’s likely that your friends will start doing it too

‘Cause you’ll set an example of what people should do.

Be kind, online.

 

4. You likely will become the person people respect

Never really knowing how many you effect

Just ‘cause you made up your mind to be fair

You’re helping kids here, there and everywhere.

Be kind, online.

Just try to be kind on-line.

Cyberbullying taken seriously at Coledale School where meanness is not tolerated

Cyberbullying Program at Coledale Public School

The 7 steps to Cyber-safety were talked about and taken seriously by students and staff at Coledale Public School in Toronto (Markham) on Friday.

Step # 4: Never meet people you have met on the web.

The above cyber-safety/internet tip was highlighted in a role-play where two girls arranged to meet someone at the mall. This was no stranger. After all, one of the girls had been chatting on-line with ‘Georgina’ for three months. Suddenly she was in town for a swim meet and offered to meet in the food court at the local mall. Gasps could be heard from the audience when it turned out ‘Georgina’ was not a 13 year old girl at all, but in fact a 43 year old man.
Police became involved and the potential victims were protected from the close call.

Following the assembly, we talked personally with some staff members who commented:
“The role-plays really drove home the points about misrepresentation on the internet and I loved your songs as well. We were very pleased with the Stand Up Now assemblies at Coledale!”
Donna McGann, Principal, Coledale Public School, Markham Ontario, York Region District School Board

“Bruce Langford tapped into the multiple intelligences with his dynamic, clear, engaging way of reaching the audience. This was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at all the schools I’ve been at!”
Karen Monteith, Teacher, Coledale Public School, Markham Ontario.

Bruce Langford of Stand Up Now Productions can be contacted at 1-800-901-8831 or through the website at http://www.standupnow.ca

London Crimestoppers Keynote Speaker Bruce Langford

Bruce Langford, Keynote Speaker at Crimestoppers Symposium

London Elgin Middlesex Crime Stoppers played host to a Symposium on October 30, 2009 at the Four Points Sheridan. Keynote speaker, Bruce Langford delivered a speech at the conference on ‘The Effects of Cyberbullying on Today’s Youth’. London Police Chief Murray Faulkner also addressed the crowd as did Director of Education for the Thames Valley District School Board, Bill Tucker. Bruce included videos and stories as part of his talk which emphasized that anyone in the audience could decide to make a positive difference in the world, just like Greg MacAleese who started the Crimestoppers Organization in 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Constable Scott Mills,  Toronto Crimestoppers Community Youth Officer delivered a presentation on ‘Social Networking Security’ which covered Internet Violence Prevention.
Bruce Langford can be contacted through his website at www.bruce-langford.com

Songs can help children deal with bullying

Music can help us learn & remember

Why do we use songs and music in our bullying-prevention programs? Songs can provide a hook so that children remember the messages. We have all used songs to help us remember facts and details like the alphabet, planets, number of days in a month and so on. Repeated phrases in songs really get the point across and help children remember the message. One example is our Passwords song. “Passwords, passwords, keep ‘em to yourself, tell no one else.”   When we visit schools a second or third time, students often come into assemblies singing “Passwords”, or “Stand Up” or “Confidence”.  We have another song which is a good example of learning through music. It is called “Be Kind Online”. I’ve posted a video below featuring this song. It is in the style of boogie woogie.
In my opinion, children can learn to deal with bullying by remembering the songs in our programs and singing them over. This will trigger memories of other details from our presentations such as videos, stories and role plays.
To book assemblies for your school, call us at 1-800-901-8831 or email us at info@standupnow.ca.
Visit our website at http://www.standupnow.ca/

Cyber-Safety/Cyber-Bullying Presentations by Speaker Presenter Bruce Langford (Ontario)

William G. Davis Middle School, Cambridge Ontario

A Cyber-safety tip for you:
Don’t meet people you have met on-line.

You’ve been chatting for three months. You know the person so well you consider them a good friend. They read the same magazines you do. They watch the same TV shows. They play the same computer games.
Then why not meet up when you get a chance?
Answer: As strange as it seems, even though you feel you know this person as well as any of your friends, they actually may not be the person you think. This may not be a 13 year old girl, but instead a 43-year-old man who is trying to lure people to locations.

The above scenario is based on a role-play we did at William G. Davis Public School in Cambridge. The role-play has powerful impact when student actors play the characters, including the two police officers who end up meeting the 13-year-olds at the mall.

Following the grade 7/8 student Cyber-bullying assemblies, we received the following comments:
“Excellent presentations with very relevant information on many different aspects of the internet!”
Carol Hagerman, Vice-Principal, William G. Davis Public School, Cambridge

“I would absolutely endorse Bruce Langford’s assemblies. Your way of presenting really worked for our grade 7/8 students!”
Kim Stenhouse, Teacher, William G. Davis Public School, Cambridge

“That was great! I really liked your interactive approach with the live music and acting.”
Nancy McKinnon, Teacher, William G. Davis Public School, Cambridge

To book programs for your school, visit www.standupnow.ca or phone Stand Up Now at 1-800-901-8831

Bullying Prevention Assemblies Support Restorative Practices at H.G. Bernard School in York Region

Zera Hameed, Principal of H.G. Bernard School

We presented our Stand Up Now bullying prevention programs recently at H.G. Bernard Public School in Richmond Hill (York Region District School Board).

They have been dealing with bullying and relationships at their school by encouraging restorative practices. The method of restorative practices is characterized by doing things with children, rather than to them or for them. It encourages participation by students in the learning and decision-making process. Restorative practices generally put emphasis on helping to deal with people and relationships in positive ways.

Principal Zera Hameed made the following comment after the ‘Stand Up Against Bullying’ assemblies:
“The (Stand Up Against Bullying) program was very interactive and really fit well with the restorative practices we’re doing here. The teachers loved it, the students loved it, and I’m sure we’ll see the results at school.”
Zera Hameed, Principal, H.G. Bernard Public School, Richmond Hill, Ontario.
(Contact Bruce Langford at 1-800-901-8831 or through the Stand Up Now Productions website at www.standupnow.ca)

Parent Reaching Out (PRO) Grant to get Bullying Speaker Bruce Langford

Paul Clark, Parent Council Rep at Sts. Peter and Paul School

I (Bruce Langford) have just presented an hour-long keynote talk including videos, songs and student role-plays at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Mississauga. The topic was bullying, cyber-bullying and parenting. Parent Council member Paul Clark commented that “Bruce Langford’s parent program was really good. It was interactive, it had music and a lot of parents found it very helpful.”
We received many positive comments about the role-plays, the songs and the tips and ideas about bullying and parenting. The program is called ‘Stand Up – Keep Your Kids’. When we visit a school during the day, we encourage children to bring their parents back in the evening for some different videos, songs and role-plays. This really helps to get lots of people out in the evening.

One of the messages in tonight’s talk was about being a good listener. As adults we need to remember to listen to our children, and as children, we need to be good listeners to our friends, our teachers and parents.

To book Bruce Langford as a guest speaker at your school, call Stand Up Now at 1-800-901-8831 or e-mail bruce@standupnow.ca