Update...

Hi there.  A little over a week ago, my daughter and I went to a meeting of the Anti-Bulling Task Force in our town.  It is one arm of the Fund for Civility and Understanding, created as a positive community based response to the Giffords shooting of January 8th, two years ago.  The home school person from the county superintendent's office, had mentioned it to me as something empowering, since my daughter is resisting trusting a counselor.

There are presentation at each monthly meeting, form folks doing community work, like helping adult leaders learn about recognizing and stopping bullying.  We learned that conflict resolution, for things like bullying, generally doesn't work.  Why not?  Because in bullying, there is no conflict.  Bullying is about power, and exerting power over others for personal gain.  So there isn't a true conflict to resolve, and conflict resolution only enables the bully and traps the victim into being "nice" yet again to someone continuing to hurt them.

At this particular meeting, there was a man from a group who does free education in sexual harassment.  He was discussing that this, too, isn't about sex, but about power.  It is abuse, plain and simple.

They are having a youth PSA contest, which will present in April.  The theme is bystanders, and how they can make a difference.  I remember how last year, when the bullies were carrying out their plans, which I hadn't realized were truly plans which had been orchestrated by a group of people until right around that time- that the bystanders had been warned.  When we walked up, the bystanders stepped back, knowing what was about to happen.  The bullies backed my daughter and I up to a fence.  They knew they had done enough to really do damage them.  And no one stepped forward to care.

There is also a project talking to the parents of those who have been bullied.  That will be interesting to see where it goes.

At the meeting, she did actually introduce herself, which is more than she has done in some time.  The little girl, who used to seek out new kids at school, to give them a place to eat lunch until they found their footing, hadn't been able to manage introductions in some time.  So I am hopeful, and we are moving into a new chapter, with homeschooling and moving forward again.

Got any hints to share?  Strategies?  We are glad for guest blogger posts and ideas and comments.  I moderate them for making sure they aren't mean spirited, or the like, but otherwise all perspectives are welcome.  Hope to hear from you all.  We wish you the best.