Education.com Reveals One Third of Parents Uncertain How to Handle Bullying

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and SEATTLE, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- While research indicates that one in three school-aged children will be bullied this year, many parents are still uncertain how to respond when the topic hits home. In response, Education.com, the leading resource for parents of school-aged children seeking support on issues related to childhood education, today launched its Special Edition on Bullying.

Education.com has teamed with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) at its annual conference to explore these and other bullying issues at a special Town Hall gathering on Thursday, March 22, which will feature a panel of experts, parents and a principal. The Special Edition on Bullying will serve as a resource for this discussion, and it offers a collection of free action-oriented tools and resources that help parents prevent and manage bullying situations in their children's lives. The resources were edited by national bully prevention experts Dr. Susan Swearer, Dr. Shelley Hymel and Dr. Amanda Nickerson. The Special Edition is available beginning today to all parents, administrators and educators online at http://www.education.com/bullying.

"While many parents and principals are working effectively to end bullying in our schools and communities, it remains an issue with serious and sometimes tragic consequences for many children across the country," said Danielle Wood, Editor-in-Chief at Education.com. "It can be incredibly difficult to know what to do when you discover that your child has been bullied or been involved in bullying others.While there aren't easy answers, there are steps all parents can take before, during and after their child has been affected by bullying to help create more positive outcomes for everyone involved.  We are introducing this Special Edition on Bullying to make sure all parents have the most current, credible and actionable information available.  We believe this is an important step toward ending bullying for all of our children."

NAESP President Rob Monson, a principal of an elementary school in Parkston, South Dakota, said that parents and principals need to work together to make sure children feel safe in schools. "An important step in ending bullying is making sure everyone involved understands the true definition of bullying, and understands how to work with bullies, victims, and bystanders to create positive school cultures of inclusion, compassion, and acceptance. NAESP is very happy to partner with Education.com to offer these resources to our members nationwide."

Most Parents Aren't Certain What to Do about Bullying
According to two surveys—one of principals and one of parents conducted by Education.com and NAESP, only 31 percent of parents feel fully prepared to handle the situation when their child has been a victim of bullying. Parents feel slightly more confident about what to do when their child has witnessed bullying (40 percent) or when their child has bullied other children (43 percent). 

The main focus of Education.com's Special Edition on Bullying at School and Online is to provide advice and steps parents can take today to help end bullying. Core articles (written in both English and Spanish) include:

• Ten Actions All Parents Can Take to Help Eliminate Bullying
• Ten Actions Parents Can Take if their Child Has Been Bullied
• Ten Actions Parents Can Take if their Child is Bullying Others

The Special Edition also includes nearly 150 articles on bullying understanding, prevention and management, a quiz on bullying myths vs. facts, an updated ebook on bullying prevention and a collection of cyber bullying resources.

The Education.com survey also revealed that only 27% of parents believe their school's staff and parents are well aligned on anti-bullying efforts while the survey of NAESP members revealed that only 14% of principals believe parents and school efforts are completely aligned. To help bridge that gap, the NAESP today is working with Education.com to highlight the resources that are available in the Special Edition on Bullying at School and Online.

About Education.com
With over six million visitors a month, Education.com is the fastest growing web destination focused on parents. Education.com gives parents and educators the information they need to help their children reach their full potential and the ideas they want to make learning more fun. From kindergarten readiness through college prep, Education.com offers high quality content, educational activities, printables, and worksheets; engaging video content; a rich community experience; and a resource that provides qualitative and quantitative information about schools across the country. Education.com was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Redwood City, CA. The company is backed by leading venture capital firms, Azure Capital Partners, TeleSoft Partners, and California Technology Ventures. For more information, please visit www.education.com.

About the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
Established in 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) serves elementary and middle-level principals in the United States, Canada, and overseas. NAESP leads in the advocacy and support for elementary and middle-level principals and other education leaders in their commitment to all children.

SOURCE Education.com