Bullying Prevention Summit Celebrates Progress

Last week, federal partners gathered for the second annual Bullying Prevention Summit, a two-day event hosted by the U.S. Department of Education. Participants celebrated the extensive antibullying work, outreach, and public engagement that resulted from the first summit, evidenced in the growing attention of schools and the media to the dangers of bullying.

“Bullying affects not only the child or children it targets, but the entire community that surrounds them—their parents, their classmates, even the child engaging in the bullying,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “Keeping our children safe is everyone’s responsibility, and I’m proud to come together with so many national leaders, parents, teachers, and students to reaffirm our collective commitment to prevent bullying in every way possible.”

President Obama and Michelle Obama hosted a White House conference on bullying earlier this year. Read about it in Psychiatric News at http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/46/8/5.1.full. Much more on this topic is included in the new volume from American Psychiatric Publishing, Preventing Bullying and School Violence, with a description and purchasing information posted at http://www.appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62384.

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