>>> JUST REMEMBER, THEY CAN JUDGE YOU AND MAKE FUN OF YOU,
BUT THEY CAN’T TAKE AWAY YOUR
HEART, YOUR PASSION, YOUR
TALENT, YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
>> THAT’S TRUE.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> WELCOME BACK TO OUR SPECIAL
#NOJUDGMENTTODAY AND ACCORDING
TO THE NATIONAL EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION, MORE THAN 160,000
KIDS STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL EACH
DAY BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARED OF
BEING BULLIED.
BEING BULLIED. >> INCREDIBLE.
>> INCREDIBLE. >> AT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM IN
MANY CASES IS KIDS PASSING
JUDGMENT AND BEING HURTFUL TO
ONE ANOTHER.
ONE ANOTHER. >> BOBBY THOMAS HEADED TO ALBERT
LEONARD MIDDLE SCHOOL IN NEW
ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, TO TALK TO
STUDENTS AND PARENTS ABOUT THE
GROWING EPIDEMIC.
GROWING EPIDEMIC. >> HEY.
>> HEY. >> HI.
>> HI. JUST WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS
OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IT’S CLEAR
THE PRINCIPAL AND SCHOOL
DISTRICT MADE A HUGE EFFORT TO
COMBAT BULLYING.
COMBAT BULLYING. IT’S HAVING AN IMPACT ON
ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO JUDGE
LESS AND ACCEPT MORE.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA,
FILTERS AND A CELEBRITY-OBSESSED
YOUTH, THE PRESSURE TO CONFORM
CAN MOUNT.
CAN MOUNT. MIDDLE SCHOOL CAN BE A
BATTLEGROUND.
BATTLEGROUND. >> THEY JUDGE YOU.
YOU CAN SEE IT ON THEIR FACES.
>> WHEN I FIRST DYED MY HAIR
PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WHY DID SHE DO
THAT?
THAT? I MADE A MISTAKE.
I GOT A LOT OF HATE FROM THAT.
>> EARLIER THIS YEAR A KID WAS
GETTING PUSHED AROUND FOR
DRESSING DIFFERENTLY.
DRESSING DIFFERENTLY. >> IF YOU DON’T HAVE NAME BRANDS
PEOPLE DEFINITELY JUDGE THAT.
>> I SAT DOWN WITH FIVE HONEST
STUDENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN THE HALL WAYS ON
ONLINE.
ONLINE. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK
BEING JUDGED AT SCHOOL HAPPENS
MORE THAN ONCE A DAY.
EVERY HOUR?
EVERY HOUR? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> FOR A PARENT, DIFFICULT TO
HEAR BUT IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS.
TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO HOW TO
HELP, WE ASKED THEIR MOMS AND
DADS TO WATCH FROM ANOTHER ROOM.
CAN ANYBODY GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE
OF A TIME YOU MAY HAVE FELT
JUDGED?
JUDGED? >> WEARING DIFFERENT CLOTHES
THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> THE FACT THAT I’M TALL,
PEOPLE THINK MY MAIN INTEREST
SHOULD BE SPORTS.
I’M INTO ART, INTERESTED IN
DOING NEW THINGS AND NOT JUST
ONE THING.
ONE THING. >> I WAS JUDGED BECAUSE OF NOT
NECESSARILY MY RELIGION, BUT THE
FACT THAT I PRACTICED IT AND I
WAS OPEN ABOUT IT.
>> WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE TO THE
UNITED STATES, I DIDN’T KNOW ANY
BIT OF ENGLISH.
I USED TO GET BULLIED BECAUSE OF
THAT.
THAT. I REMEMBER ONE TIME IF I WAS
WALKING HOME AND A KID WAS
YELLING FROM ACROSS THE STREET
THAT I WAS STUPID AND
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> FIFTH GRADE LUNCH WAS THE
WORST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED
TO ME.
TO ME. THERE WERE TWO TABLES.
I SAT AT ONE TABLE AND I SAT
THERE BECAUSE MY FRIENDS SAT
THERE.
THERE. THEN THE KID THAT BULLIED ME --
THE TWO KIDS THAT BULLIED ME
CAME OVER.
CAME OVER. IT WAS REALLY HURTFUL BECAUSE I
NEVER DID ANYTHING TO THEM.
>> I USED TO GO TO A SCHOOL IN
THE CITY.
THE CITY. THIS KID WOULD JUDGE ME FOR
BEING AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
BEING AFRICAN-AMERICAN. I ALWAYS FELT BAD ABOUT IT.
>> FINISH THIS SENTENCE.
KIDS WOULD BE HAPPIER IF --
>> THEY TOLD A TEACHER AND MADE
IT STOP.
IT STOP. >> THEY TOLD A TEACHER AND --
>> MADE IT STOP.
>> ANYONE ELSE WANT TO FINISH
THE SENTENCE?
THE SENTENCE? KIDS WOULD BE HAPPIER IF --
>> THEY DIDN’T PAY ATTENTION TO
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT
THEM.
THEM. WHEN YOU’RE CONFIDENT THEY DON’T
NEED OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS.
>> IF YOU COULD TELL ALL THE
PARENTS WATCHING OUT THERE, WHAT
DO WE NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOUR
LIVES BETTER?
LIVES BETTER? >> READ BODY LANGUAGE.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE GO HOME AND
LOOK UPSET, BUT THEY ACT HAPPY.
I THINK IF PARENTS NOTICE THAT
IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEIR
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >> I THINK KNOWING WHETHER OR
NOT YOUR CHILD IS READY FOR
SOCIAL MEDIA IS A VERY IMPORTANT
THING.
THING. CERTAIN KIDS AREN’T READY FOR
THE COMMENTS THAT COME WITH
SOCIAL MEDIA, THE COMPARING THAT
COMES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> HOW DO I KNOW IF MY KID IS
READY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA?
>> IF THEY KNOW THEY’RE WORTH,
THEY’RE READY.
THEY’RE READY. I THINK NOT BEFORE -- 12.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> YOU’RE STARTING TO FIND
YOURSELF, YOUR HOBBIES,
PERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY. IT’S ALL KIND OF FORMING.
SO I THINK CERTAIN SEEDS OF
INSECURITY ARE GOING TO BE
BUILT.
BUILT. >> Reporter: ON THAT NOTE, I
WENT TO CHECK IN WITH THE
PARENTS FOR THEIR TAKE ON
EVERYTHING WE JUST LEARNED.
>> I’M BLOWN AWAY WITH HOW
GROUNDED THEY ARE.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO
WATCHING THEM?
WATCHING THEM? >> IT WAS REFRESHING TO SEE THEM
COMING OUT AND SAYING HOW DO YOU
FEEL AND WHAT KIND OF PRESSURE
THEY’RE UNDER.
THEY’RE UNDER. AND AS PARENTS WHAT WE CAN DO TO
HELP.
HELP. >> Reporter: WHAT WAS THE MOST
SURPRISING THING YOU HEARD?
>> WHEN HE STILL SHOWED THAT
THIS THING IN THE SCHOOL IN THE
CITY STILL BOTHERED HIM.
I WAS SURPRISED.
>> Reporter: I WAS CURIOUS.
HOW DO THESE PARENTS RAISE
SELF-ASSURED KIDS IN THIS DAY
AND AGE?
AND AGE? >> THE BALANCE IS FIGURING OUT
HOW TO BUILD INTO YOUR KIDS HOW
MUCH YOU LOVE THEM AND HOW
WORTHY THEY ARE.
ALSO BALANCE THAT WITH REAL
WORLD WHICH IS THAT THEY ARE NOT
THE SHINIEST ROCK AND THERE ARE
GOING TO BE THINGS THEY’RE
REALLY GOOD AT AND SOME THINGS
THEY MAY NOT BE GOOD AT.
>> Reporter: THE OVERWHELMING
ADVICE WAS THE SIMPLEST -- LET
KIDS BE KIDS.
>> ONE THING I WAS STRUCK BY WAS
HOW COMFORTABLE THE KIDS WERE
IMMEDIATELY TALKING TO EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. A LOT OF THEM DIDN’T KNOW EACH
OTHER, BUT THEY WERE LAUGHING,
SMILING, COMMUNICATING, SHARING
STORIES.
STORIES. TOTALLY OPEN JUST FROM THE
GET-GO.
GET-GO. THAT’S A NATURAL STATE OF KIDS.
WHEN KIDS ARE BULLYING EACH
OTHER, WHEN BAD THINGS ARE
HAPPENING, THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES.
OUTSIDE INFLUENCES. IT’S FUNNY THAT WHAT WE NEED TO
DO IS PARENTS IS NOT SO MUCH
CREATE NEW THINGS TO HELP KIDS
RELATE, BUT REMOVE THE BAD
THINGS WE ARE PUTTING IN THEIR
WAY THAT STOPS THEM FROM
CONNECTING AND THE NATURAL GREAT
WAY WE SAW THESE KIDS CONNECT
WHEN THEY WERE PUT TOGETHER FOR
THE FIRST TIME.
IT WAS BUCHLEAUTIFUL TO SEE IT.
>> WHAT A GREAT POINT.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. I WAS COMPLETELY TAKEN BACK BY
HOW GROUNDED AND SELF-AWARE
THESE CHILDREN WERE.
I THINK THE SILVER LINING IS
THEY SAID TO ME OFF CAMERA, YOU
KNOW, WE CAN TELL WHEN OUR
FRIENDS HAVE BEEN -- WHEN THEY
FIRST START SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE SEE A DIFFERENCE.
>> OH.
>> OH. >> BUT SEEING HOW AWARE THEY ARE
AND HOW THEY ARE HANDLING IT,
THE OUTSIDE INFLUENCE THE JUST
HOPEFUL AS A PARENT TO KNOW
THEY’RE AWARE OF WHAT’S
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. >> I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT IT’S
LIKE.
LIKE. >> THE DAD’S LAST COMMENT THAT