The Challenge
Bullying is a pervasive problem in our schools; 71 percent of students report bullying as an on-going problem. Studies have linked bullying with anxiety, depression, and lower academic achievement. How do you create a safe school environment where every student feels free to pursue their dreams without the fear of harassment or intimidation?
Our Insight
Combating bullying is about personal courage. When individual students stand up to bullying, they can ignite a cultural change school-wide.
Our Solution
Together with LAUSD, the LA Fund brought together about 7,000 students from 49 different schools to the Nokia Theatre for a screening of the documentary “Bully” followed by a townhall discussion. The largest gathering of youth against bullying in California, the students that attended given the inspiration to be the change agents to combat bullying on their campuses. The LA Fund will be providing anti-bullying grants to further support schools in their cultural transformation.
Additional Resources
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-statistics-2010.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/18/local/la-me-bully-20120418
