Ways Organizations Can Help Prevent Bullying, Interview with Candice Dugger

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Ways Organizations Can Help Prevent Bullying, Interview with Candice Dugger. Ways Organizations Can Help Prevent Bullying, Interview with Candice Dugger October is Bullying Prevention Month. Our friend, Candice Dugger, of Bullied, Broken, Redeemed joins us again for this episode of Homeschool Highschool Podcast. We wanted to talk about ways organizations can help their staff and members learn and teach bullying prevention. In our last chat with Candice, she explained ways to help prevent bullying for our own children, but we felt we should also help give some resources for the many of us moms who are also involved in homeschool, church and community organizations. When organizations have the tools to establish and anti-bullying culture, they can truly be blessings to all involved. When Candice and her family started homeschooling, she was surprised to find that there were few resources about bullying that were available. She was concerned, especially witht the rise in cyberbullying, that there were not tools for homeschooling families. That is why she started Bullied, Broken, Redeemed and why she is sharing these tips. Tips for establishing an anti-bullying culture Tip #1: Acknowledge we have an issue Candice says that sometimes we homeschooling parents feel because we are homeschooling that are kids are in a "bubble" where there will be no bullying. However, homeschooling families tend to be active in their homeschool, church and community organizations and because there are broken people in many organizations, they may run into a bullying situation at some point. Tip #2: Training to help our organization staff and leaders is helpful * How can adults learn to identify bullying in the groups they help with? * What is the difference between conflict and bullying? * Where can they find words and tools for helping their young people to: * Identify bullying * What to do when they see a bullying behavior Tip #3: Develop a policy on bullying and a code of conduct Discuss also if the policy will extend to cyberbullying outside the organizations specific activities. (For more on policymaking for homeschool co-ops, check out this episode from our friend Carol Topp, at Homeschool CPA podcast. * What happens if someone makes a complaint of bullying? * Can reports of bullying be anonymous? * Who is the person(s) to report bullying to? * What are the procedures for teachers/staff to follow in reporting bullying? * What will be done with the report of bullying? * What tools for self-advocating will be used for training young people about bullying? * What format for teaching anti-bullying skills will be used and when? * Bullied, Broken, Redeemed has about 14 workshops and curriculum that can help at every level Creating a structure for an organization to deal with bullying empowers everyone from child through staff through leadership with the tools they need. Young people who learn the tools of dealing with bullying are equipped with a lifelong skill. If you are a co-op mom pulling together resources for teaching about bullying prevention next year: * Create a co-op handbook and put bullying policies in place * As the homeschool year starts, do a basic training about bullying and expectations for dealing with it...