Addressing Bullying and Violence Among Youth in America

Strategic Insights -

October marks a critical month for addressing the issue of bullying among youth in America. Dr. David Walsh, a renowned expert on media and the family, is the featured speaker on the e-parenting topic of bullying on ParentFurther.com during this month. The site, sponsored by Search Institute, provides free online resources to equip parents and educators with the tools to tackle this pressing issue. The tragic consequences of bullying and violence on adolescents include school absenteeism, vicious attacks, and even suicide, highlighting the need for a proactive approach.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bullying and violence among youth in America have become a common issue, with severe consequences, including school absenteeism and even suicide.
  • Building assets in children is a positive deterrent to bullying and violent behaviors, with studies showing that kids with more assets are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors.
  • The 40 Developmental Assets, a renowned framework developed by Search Institute, has been shown to be effective in promoting positive behaviors and deterring bullying.
  • Dr. Peter Benson, CEO of Search Institute, has emphasized the importance of building assets in children, citing studies of over 2.2 million young people in the United States.
  • Dr. David Walsh, a featured speaker on ParentFurther.com, is a nationally recognized authority on media and the family, and is available for media interviews.
  • The impact of bullying on pre-teens and teens can be severe, with some resulting in vicious attacks and even suicide.
  • Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets have been shown to be effective in promoting positive behaviors and preventing bullying.
  • Dr. Benson has stated that kids who experience more assets are more likely to be successful, do well in school, and help others.

Statistics:

  • Over 2.2 million young people in the United States have participated in studies on the impact of building assets on behavior.
  • Seeds of Change (a five-year research project) working with more than one million young people showed that there is a significant relationship between the 40 Developmental Assets and 24 assets and 11 risk behaviors.
  • Building assets in children has been shown to reduce the likelihood of high-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse and crime.
  • The 40 Developmental Assets have been recognized as a key factor in promoting positive behaviors and preventing bullying.

Sources:

  • Search Institute
  • ParentFurther.com
  • Dr. Peter Benson, CEO of Search Institute
  • Dr. David Walsh, senior advisor to Search Institute
  • Seeds of Change research project