I’m sure that you’ve heard the phrase 'snitches get stitches.' I want you to really think about what that means.

You see, I think that people don’t understand what snitching really is when someone is seeking safety.

Bystander intervention has been found to be less common than expected. Many students witness bullying incidents but do not report them or intervene. Schools and organizations are working to educate students about the importance of standing up against bullying.

Unfortunately, I believe that bystanders choose not to act because the 'snitches get stitches' culture is so prevalent, and whether you know it or not, you and I have at one point or another supported that belief.

You see, there is great fear in REPORTING something out of concern that you will be seen as 'the snitch.'

I can think of several movies where a tragedy has happened, and the members of the community are still apprehensive or completely against reporting the perpetrator. The apprehension...

One of the most pervasive ways that people hurt others is through gossiping, which is a form of social bullying. It is usually done in person or online.

Social bullying is when one tarnishes the reputation and character of another person. Usually, this includes gossiping, telling others not to engage with the victim for any reason, sabotaging the victim's relationships in one way or another, and other methods.

TEACH KIDS NOT TO BE AN AUDIENCE FOR GOSSIP.

When kids refuse to listen to gossip, people stop gossiping. The gossiper might even feel embarrassed that they tried to initiate, as well as those engaging in it. By teaching kids to refuse to be a listener, they send the message that gossip is not important to them and maybe even that it's distasteful.

In case you were not aware, kids are often more influenced by their peers' disapproval than by their parent's perspective.

Kids may engage in gossip for several reasons, including:

• Showing power: Since kids like the idea of having...

What were your beliefs about a bully when you were in school? I’ll be honest. Until I began doing research on bullying, I thought that kids who were bullies didn’t weren’t being parented well.

I know! Judgy!

I thought that they were just acting like either their parents or perhaps an older sibling or family member. A lot of people still think of bullies this way and you know, society overall tends to be very judgy about parents and kids.

I thought that bullies were just bad kids who loved making people like me miserable. 

But, no one ever had a conversation with me about bullying or bullies at all. 

The truth is that kids who bully are just kids who have not been taught how to deal with their emotions. Now, I’m not going to tell you that all kids who bully decide to target people for the same reason. 

There are many motivators for bullies to do what they do. But right now, I want to talk about what you should do if your child is a...

A lady recently asked me if I could help her find a lawyer to help her niece with a bullying situation at school. 

You see, her niece was physically bullied and has been at home this week due to fear of lack of safety because the school hasn’t responded to the bullying report at all!

So, I don’t blame this high school child. If a school has allowed over two weeks to pass and not one person has responded, then I too wouldn’t go back to school without knowing they would do their best to keep me safe. 

Did you know that legally, the number one mission for all schools in the U.S. is to keep kids safe while on campus?

Yup.

Providing academic education comes second. 

So, back to this lady’s question. She wanted to know what type of lawyer should she look for and how would she be able to find a good one?

Fortunately, I’ve done my homework regarding this question and had the privilege of interviewing some lawyers who have defended children...

Would you put your child in a bubble if you could? It’s something all parents have thought of at one point or another, right?

Honestly, I’m not one of those parents who would put their kids in a bubble. I understand the need for them to go through some life lessons, but to a certain point. 

One of the things that I have focused on is showing kids empathy because as we have all witnesses, people without empathy are more likely to intentionally hurt others. 

Then, there’s the importance of learning to deal with one’s own emotions. When children do not know how to release what they’re feeling, eventually those emotions come out in certain ways. 

Sometimes pain and frustration come out in the form of anger. When this happens to children, even they don’t often understand why they’re feeling.

At times, their emotions are taken out in the form of anger, mischief, or bullying. No parent wants to find out that their kid is the one...

Former Foster Youth Shares Personal Journey From Pain to Power

Imagine being so scared to go to a school that you hide in the library so that you can be invisible.

Imagine being called names such as “blackie” and “ugly”, while walking to class by a group of your peers. Imagine what your life would be like if you are jumped, hit, chased and chronically teased at school, and no one comes to your rescue

Sadly, thousands of children in the Inland Empire, especially foster youth, are afraid to go to school because they are violently and verbally attacked.

I was one of those children. A quiet, shy kid who felt unloved and unworthy due to the trauma I faced, I was often the target of unwanted harassment. I wore the same clothes or hand-me-downs that were either too big or too small for me.

My hair was unkempt because no one invested money to care for my hair. My clothing, dark skin, and coarse hair made me a target for daily bullying for a decade that...