Eliminating Bullying and Accepting Differences

Bullying in schools and cyberspace is suddenly in the public eye since the tragic suicides of several young people-- apparently as a result of teasing and harassment that escalated out of control. Students with disabilities are among the groups that experience the highest rates of verbal and physical violence; for children on the autism spectrum these experiences can be everyday occurrences.  Not only are these students at great physical risk, but the emotional damage can be life-long and devastating. What can be done?  Eliminating bullying starts with acceptance of differences, which is what we teach in our Student Disabilities Awareness Program.  We leave books such as A is for Autism, F is for Friend in elementary school classrooms. One of the Program's goals is creating a safe and healthy learning environment for all students.