Researchers: Adults Must Adapt Anti-Bullying Efforts To Teen Culture

Duncan Calls For Head-On Approach To Bullying.

The Buffalo News (9/23, Zremski, 174K) reports that Education Secretary Arne Duncan, speaking Wednesday at ED's anti-bullying summit, discussed correspondence from students who feel helpless in the face of bullying at school, noting that "in the wake of the suicide of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer of Amherst, Duncan and other education experts said schools must confront the bullying problem, lest they risk more young lives. 'You have to take these tough issues on openly and honestly,' Duncan said in a brief interview at a conference his department is sponsoring on prevention of bullying. 'It's painful. It's difficult work. It's tough stuff. But ultimately it saves lives.'" Duncan stressed that ED is working to help districts prevent bullying, and touted some successes.

Rutgers Student's Death One Year Ago Resulted In Anti-Bullying Legislation.The AP (9/23) reports on the anniversary of the suicide of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi who had been harassed over being gay, noting that after his suicide, "New Jersey's legislature passed anti-bullying legislation. ... The state attorney general earlier this week distributed new guidelines to school officials and law enforcement about the law."

Law's Implications For Special Needs Students Considered.The Record and Herald News (NJ) (9/23, Hughes) reports on the concerns voiced by New Jersey special education stakeholders over the impact that the New Jersey Anti-bullying Bill of Rights could have on such students, noting that they "have long been victims of bullying, but impulse control problems or other issues could cause them to be seen as aggressors."

After Fan's Suicide, Lady Gaga Calls For Meeting With Obama About Bullying Concerns.The AP (9/23) reports that singer Lady Gaga "wants to meet with President Barack Obama about her concerns over bullying," noting that she "expressed sadness over Twitter Wednesday about" Rodemeyer's suicide. "The pop singer tweeted to her 13.7 million followers: 'I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end.'"

Researchers: Adults Must Adapt Anti-Bullying Efforts To Teen Culture.

In a New York Times (9/23, Subscription Publication, 950K) op-ed, Microsoft researchers Danah Boyd and Alice Marwick write that Rodemeyer's death "is appalling. His story is a classic case of bullying: he was aggressively and repeatedly victimized." The writers detail the national debate that has stemmed from similar cases, but warn that "adults need to start paying attention to the language of youth if they want antibullying interventions to succeed." They suggest that high school students are often reluctant to admit that they are being bullied, and that concerned stakeholders must rely on their own observations. "Antibullying efforts cannot be successful if they make teenagers feel victimized without providing them the support to go from a position of victimization to one of empowerment."