Since his son's suicide Head has become an activist against bullying. But Names Will Never Hurt Me. Head and others are trying to change attitudes about bullying. Paula Schwartzberg, a school administrator who trains educators about bullying agrees. We're talking about not letting students do things in school that we would never let adults do in society.
Times are different, the stakes are much higher.
Schwartzberg says schools can prevent bullying by creating an environment of respect. The school along with the parents have to put a plan in place that teaches children respect for others. An environment of respect begins way before the school hall fight. It starts much earlier with name calling, eye rolling, and gossip. Parents need to help kids learn to recognize bullying in its early stages and teach them that those kind of behaviors are part of a continuum of violence.