Give youth a voice and exercise your own voice, too.

Harassment, intimidation and bullying behaviors among
children and youth are a peer phenomenon, so kids are
usually reluctant to talk with adults about it. Families
and schools need to build in times and structures to help
facilitate youth talking about their experiences, both
positive and negative. Young people need to feel like they
have an adult to whom they can turn if they are the target
of bullying. They also need ways to feel safe expressing
concerns about their peers’ bad behavior.

5. What to do? Families and schools can create the
conditions for youth voice by developing and reinforcing
widely-shared, positive social norms (core ethical
values), providing ways for all students to make
valued contributions to the well-being of others, and
implementing programs that regularly give youth a
chance to speak their minds in a safe environment.

Ask your kids how things are going at school, and stay
tuned for signs of trouble with peers. Let them know
directly and indirectly that they are not alone and you
are available to help them. Encourage them to be kind
to others who are different than they are. Let teachers
and school officials know you support their bullying
prevention efforts and programs, and hold them
accountable for responding with care and appropriate
consequences when bullying occurs.

Philip Brown, PhD, is resident expert on character education for Wear the Cape and
thekidkind foundation. Wear the Cape™ donates 10 percent of its net profits for apparel
and gear to the kidkind foundation, which is a registered 501 (c)(3) charity dedicated
to restoring the power of kindness and heroic character. Dr. Brown is also a senior
consultant at the National School Climate Center and a Fellow of the Graduate School
of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University where he founded and
directed the Center for Social and Character Development.

12 October 2015 washingtonFAMILY.com



T:11.5”
T:10.5” Kids will spend
57 minutes making
octopi go splat.

How about two
minutes to brush
their teeth?
Brushing for two minutes now can save your child from severe
tooth pain later. Two minutes, twice a day. They have the time. For fun, 2-minute videos to watch
while brushing, go to 2min2x.org.

©2012 Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives
washingtonFAMILY.com
October 2015
13