Bye-Bye Bullying

Everyday, children with special needs are being bullied. We see it in the hallways, we see it at recess, and we see it in the cafeteria. Studies show that children with special needs are way more likely to get bullied. This bullying can hurt those affected, making it hard for them to learn. It makes them sad, lowers their grades, and makes it hard for them to concentrate. It is something that happens too often in our community. That is why we are choosing to advocate for this issue.

Root Cause:

We think the root cause of this issue is that most students are not well educated on how to treat kids with special needs. They do not understand kids with special needs so they choose to ignore and exclude them. Some even make fun of them and laugh at them. They only see what makes kids with special needs different instead of realizing that they actually have a lot in common.

Goal:

Our goal is to create an in-school assembly that occurs at the beginning of each semester. This assembly would inform students about kids with special needs. It would also show students how to be a friend and how to advocate for these kids. We believe the best way to meet this goal is by meeting with principals in the Waco school district and asking them to be involved.

How to Help:

The most important thing a kid can do is to stand up for these students when bullying happens. This is something that every kid can do and it can help a lot.

We encourage you to take action by standing up for students who are bullied. "Children with disabilities [are] two to three times more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers." When you see a kid being bullied, intervene!

Raise awareness by putting up posters in your school that encourage all kids to stand up to bullying.

Make a pact between your friends to not engage in bullying and to stop those who choose to bully.

Start a social media campaign or hashtag to spread the word.

Get involved with an anti-bullying organization like STOMP Out Bullying.

Write a letter to your city council, state senators, and congressmen asking for them to support the cause!

Grayson: "I learned to not bully and to help those with special needs."

Simeon: "To help my community."

Emilia: "I learned about my community and special needs kids."

Maia: "Being a good citizen and helping others."

Rhys: "When people insult other people, it's to take the attention away from themselves."

Jesse: "We learned to help people. We learned how to make others help the community."

Jared: "How to make a change."

Madelyn: "I learned that being a good citizen is more than walking around and picking up trash. It's seeing a problem and advocating for it."

Elizabeth: "I learned about special needs kids."

http://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/students-with-disabilities/

http://www.stompoutbullying.org

http://www.thebullypolicesquad.com

http://www.specialneeds.com/children-and-parents/general-special-needs/bullying-and-children-special-needs

http://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Schools/Safe_and_Healthy_Schools/Coordinated_School_Health/Coordinated_School_Health_-_Bullying_and_Cyber-bullying/

Grayson

Simeon

Emilia

Maia

Rhys

Gabriela

Jesse

Jared

Madelyn

Elizabeth