Poll: Are Schools Doing Enough to Stop Hazing, Bullying?

Three plaintiffs were added to a lawsuit against Maine West High School that alleges coaches condoned hazing.

A lawsuit against Maine West High School alleges that students were hazed and bullied, sometimes at the behest of coaches of some athletic teams. A police investigation into a hazing incident this year led to charges against six students. During a “campus run” the boy’s teammates grabbed him, according to the lawsuit, tore off his underwear, held him down so he could not resist, grabbed his testicles and sodomized him with their fingers and other foreign objects. Des Plaines police told the Chicago Sun-Times that they sought felony charges in the case, but Cook County prosecutors disagreed. Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence for the more serious charges and settled on misdemeanors, the Sun-Times reported. Since that initial …

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Chicagoland Girl Scouts Stand Up to Bullying

"Bullied" author Carrie Goldman joins local Girl Scout Leaders in a discussion on bullying prevention.

Over the past few years, the issue of bullying has entered the national dialogue in a major way, such as through anti-bullying efforts like the “It Gets Better Project”. The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana held a small group discussion about bullying on Wednesday afternoon in Lake Forest between “Bullied” author Carrie Goldman, and Maria Wynne, the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana CEO. The Girl Scout Research Institute recently found that young girls are increasingly being influenced by different forms of media, such as reality television, which can glorify cattiness and bullying. In fact, their research showed that 78% of girls who regularly watch reality television agreed that “gossiping is a …

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The Power of Empathy vs. The Power of Bullies

Judy S. Freedman, a licensed clinical social worker and bullying prevention specialist, discusses the role of empathy in teaching children about the dangers of bullying.

Glenbrook Confidential

The YOLO challenge

Differentiating your own decisions versus the pressure of a motto

YOLO. This term, meaning “you only live once,” has been spit out, retweeted, and even printed on shirts lately. But it’s only a scapegoat. All around me, I’ve been watching people getting sucked into its web. YOLO this, YOLO that—as if that simple word is justification for everything. While in reality, people are only playing along to reassure themselves that they can do whatever they’re about to do. Supply that extra boost of confidence. And that is not where the problem stands; it’s the decisions that YOLO leads to.   Yes, it’s true that you only live once. That is, unless your personal beliefs advise you otherwise. But sugarcoating decisions with the motto YOLO parallels with a common theme of regret. Now, we all make mistakes. And in …

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Anti-Bullying Legislation Fails in IL Senate

Bill requiring schools to adopt more detailed policies to prevent bullying could come up again for a vote this session.

The Illinois State Senate Tuesday by one vote turned back a bill requiring schools to adopt more detailed policies to prevent bullying. Senators Susan Garrett (D), Jeffrey Schoenberg (D) and Terry Link (D) who represent parts of Northbrook voted for the bill. Thirty votes were required for passage in the Senate; the measure could come up again during the current session. HB 5290 would have required schools to include a definition of bullying and a statement saying it was against the law. The policies would have spelled out how allegations could be submitted anonymously and how they would be investigated, according to the State Journal-Register of Springfield. A description of what could happen to students who bully others, such as …

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Holocaust Museum Celebrates Enhanced Exhibit

New exhibit teaches children universal lessons from the Holocaust.

For many of the youngest members of families visiting the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, the permanent exhibit upstairs may not be something they can easily understand. This weekend, the museum celebrated the opening of the newly enhanced Miller Family Youth Exhibit titled "Make A Difference!", an exhibit that strives to teach children the universal lessons of the Holocaust through subjects like tolerance and standing up to bullying. Sunday afternoon's celebration featured a variety of activities for families and a chance for everyone to get a look at the new exhibit. Some of the new features include a variety of interactive stations and a mural created with the help of many of the young guests that turned out …

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