Countywide anti-bullying summit to be held Sunday at Ann Arbor church
The Jim Toy Community Center is holding a countywide anti-bullying summit from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, 1432 Washtenaw Ave.
The meeting will be held in the Curtis Room of the church. The Jim Toy Community Center was formerly known as the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project.
The meeting was prompted by recent, nationally publicized bullying incidents that have resulted in teen suicides, according to a press release. The summit’s goal is to define and initiate a set of action steps to reduce the level of harassment experienced by students in area schools, the release stated.
Ann Arbor activist Jim Toy will convene the summit. Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Legal Project, will make opening comments, and Rev. Joe Summers of Ann Arbor’s Episcopal Church of the Incarnation will facilitate the meeting.
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.
Comments
gail wolkoff
Wed, Jan 5, 2011 : 8:15 p.m.
The focus of the summit is on Bullying. Bullying always involves a power imbalance between the bully and the victim. The differences used for bullying are sexual, race, ethnic background, socio-economics, ability, religion, politics, and age. There are different kinds of bullying; physical, verbal, social alienation, and cyber. The type of bullying doest matter; bullying is bullying. The victim feels upset, afraid, ashamed, embarrassed, and anxious. Bullying behavior is frequently repeated unless there is intervention. The summits goal is to define and to start to create a safe and supportive environment for all students. Everyone is invited to join and to be part of the summit.
KeepingItReal
Wed, Jan 5, 2011 : 7:01 a.m.
Is the focus of this summit only to address bullying as it relates to LGBTs. Bullying comes in all forms including racial name calling. Will this summit address this type of bullying as well?