White House Hosts Anti-Bullying Conference
Today the President and First Lady, along with high level staff in the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, are hosting an all-day event on bullying prevention. The White House says the conference is bringing together communities from across the nation that have been affected by bullying, as well as those who are taking action against it.
There are main sessions, and break-out sessions. You can follow along some of it, live, on the White House's website.
The President and First Lady made remarks at the opening session this morning. First Lady Michelle Obama said bullying is an "issue of great concern," not only as a First Lady, but as a mother. She said:
As parents, this issue really hits home for us. As parents, it breaks our hearts to think that any child feels afraid every day in the classroom, or on the playground, or even online. It breaks our hearts to think about any parent losing a child to bullying, or just wondering whether their kids will be safe when they leave for school in the morning.
And as parents, Barack and I also know that sometimes, maybe even a lot of the time, it’s really hard for parents to know what’s going on in our kids’ lives.
We don’t always know, because they don’t always tell us every little detail. We know that from Sasha. Sasha’s response is -- “What happened at school today?” “Nothing.” (Laughter.) That’s it. It’s like, well, we’re taking you out of that school. (Laughter.)
So as parents, we know we need to make a real effort to be engaged in our children’s lives, to listen to them and be there for them when they need us. We need to get involved in their schools and in their activities so that we know what they’re up to, both in and out of the classroom. And when something is wrong, we need to speak up, and we need to take action.
President Obama chimed in, with a bit of personal experience.
We all remember what it was like to see kids picked on in the hallways or in the schoolyard. And I have to say, with big ears and the name that I have, I wasn’t immune. I didn’t emerge unscathed. But because it’s something that happens a lot, and it’s something that’s always been around, sometimes we’ve turned a blind eye to the problem. We’ve said, “Kids will be kids.”
But, he added, Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it’s not something we have to accept. As parents and students, as teachers and members of the community, we can take steps -- all of us -- to help prevent bullying and create a climate in our schools in which all of our children can feel safe; a climate in which they all can feel like they belong.