SOME
SOME IMPROVEMENT, PAT. >>> OCTOBER IS NATIONAL
BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH,
ACCORDING TO THE PACER CENTER.
60% OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE
DISABILITIES REPORTING ABOUT
BULLIED REGULARLY.
BULLIED REGULARLY. TODAY, WE'RE FOCUSING ON TOOLS
TO STOP THIS NEGATIVE
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. HERE TO TELL US MORE, DR.
NANETT ALEJANDRO, A BULLYING
SPECIALIST.
SPECIALIST. AND JULIE VAVRUSHKA, THE MOTHER
OF A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD, WHO
HAS EXPERIENCED BULLYING.
WELCOME AND THANK YOU TO BOTH
OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
YOU'RE HERE TO SAY WHAT IN THIS
TIME OF IMPORTANT PUBLIC
AWARENESS?
AWARENESS? >> WE SEE CHILDREN AND
ADOLESCENTS WHO HAVE MEDICALLY
COMPLEX CONDITIONS, AND THAT
CAN MAKE THEM STAND OUT TO
THEIR PEERS.
THEIR PEERS. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS
PARENTS, PROVIDERS, AND
EDUCATORS THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR
OUR CHILDREN, AND TEACH THEM
HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS THAT JULIE AND
I WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IS
KIND OF IDENTIFYING THE PEER,
THE FRIEND WHO WILL BE THERE
WITH YOUR CHILD IF THEY EVER
ENCOUNTER THIS SITUATION, SO
THAT THEY HAVE A FRIEND WHO
WILL STAND UP WITH THEM TO THE
BULLY.
BULLY.
BULLY. >>
BULLY. >> AND THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THAT PERSON THAT YOU CAN
TURN TO, WHETHER IT'S ANOTHER
CHILD, A YOUNG PERSON, OR AN
ADULT.
ADULT.
ADULT. JULIE, FIRST HAND YOU HAD THIS
EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR CHILD.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> IS ABSOLUTELY.
WE WERE AT THE STATE FAIR THIS
YEAR, AND BENNETT LOVES
BASEBALL.
BASEBALL.
BASEBALL. BENNETT IS A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY
WITH SPINA BIFIDA, AND BENNETT
WAITED FOR HIS TURN IN LINE AND
HIT A COUPLE OF GREAT HITS TO
THE OUTFIELD.
THE OUTFIELD. ON THE NEXT HIT, HE TOLD ME HE
WANTED TO RUN.
SO HE RAN TO FIRST BASE, AND MY
HAPPINESS QUICKLY TURNED TO
SADNESS AND ANGER, AS I LOOKED
ON THE SIDE, AND SAW A BUNCH OF
CHILDREN MOCKING HIM.
AND MAKING FUN OF HOW HE WAS
RUNNING.
RUNNING.
RUNNING. IT JUST, MY EMOTIONS CAME OVER
ME, AND I RAN OVER AND GRABBED
ONE OF THE BOYS BY HIS ARM, AND
I SAID BENNETT RUNS LIKE THIS,
BECAUSE HE HAS SPECIAL NEEDS.
AND MICHAEL'S MOTHER CAME OVER,
AND APOLOGIZED.
AND APOLOGIZED. I SAID HE'S A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY,
HE LOVES TO PLAY BASEBALL.
HE'S JUST LIKE YOU, HE JUST
WALKS DIFFERENT, AND RUNS
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. I JUST SAID THE NEXT TIME YOU
ENCOUNTER SOMEONE WHO IS
DIFFERENT THAN YOU, I HOPE
YOU'LL STAND UP FOR THEM.
I HOPE MY STORY MAKES OTHER
PARENTS OR KIDS DO THE SAME
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> FREQUENTLY, IT'S AN
OPPORTUNITY THAT WE MISS TO
EDUCATE PEOPLE.
EDUCATE PEOPLE. THIS DIFFERENCE IS SOMETHING
THAT, IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND,
YOU THINK IN MANY CASES, YOU
MAKE FUN OF IT.
YOU REJECT IT.
THAT'S THE THING THERE.
YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. THESE ARE STORIES THAT ARE
REPEATED WITH PARENTS, AREN'T
THEY?
THEY?
THEY? >>
THEY? >> YES, THEY ARE.
YOU KNOW, DATA SHOWS THAT WHEN
A CHILD, OR A PEER STANDS UP TO
A BULLY WITH A FRIEND, THAT
TAKES CARE OF 50% OF THE
BULLYING SITUATION.
BULLYING SITUATION. IT'S HUGELY IMPORTANT FOR US AS
PARENTS TO TEACH ALL OF OUR
CHILDREN WHY WE NEED TO STAND
UP FOR OUR FRIENDS.
>> I LIKE THE IDEA.
THIS IS WHY WE ACCENTUATE.
IT WAS TEACHING, NOT SHAMING.
IT WAS TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS IS
WHAT YOUR CHILD HAS WITH SPINA
BIFIDA.
BIFIDA.
BIFIDA. IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING
FOR ADULTS TOO.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS WE'RE
BULLIED, AS I SHARED WITH YOU,
AS A KID BEING PICKED ON.
THAT WAS AN ERA PRIOR TO SOCIAL
MEDIA, AND ALL THE HARASSMENT
THAT TAKES PLACE THERE.
SO THERE IS A LOT FOR FOLKS TO
BE AWARE OF.
>> THE BEST PART OF THE STORY,
AFTER WE CLEARED BENNETT FROM
THE FIELD, HE WENT OVER TO THE
SIDE, AND I HEARD BENNETT COME
ON BUDDY, AND THE NEXT PITCH HE
HIT IT OVER THE FENCE, AND I
KNOW THAT WAS FOR BENNETT.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YOU'VE ENLIGHTENED ALL OF US
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO
PREVENT BULLYING, GO