Bentley University Launches Student-Led Initiatives to Combat Bullying

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Nov 01, 2010, 02:28 ET

Efforts Include Anti-Bullying Workshops for Parents, Teachers and Students in Local Communities

WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Students and faculty at Bentley University, in cooperation with the Bentley Service-Learning Center, have launched an anti-bullying campaign that extends from their Waltham, Mass. community into local schools and nearby communities. Designed to be run by students, the One Goal, One Community: Moving Beyond Bullying and Empowering for Life initiative is focused on educating community members and soliciting their commitment to help change behaviors and put an end to bullying.

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As part of the effort, Bentley student leaders have been trained to lead anti-bullying programs for schools, organizations, parents, and teachers that provide the tools needed to develop a stronger support system and a proactive environment. Schools across the country have recognized the need to develop anti-bullying initiatives, yet the challenge lies in implementing such programs.

Milton, Mass. is the first community to participate in Bentley's anti-bullying program. On Tuesday, November 9th, 7:00 p.m., at Milton High School, Bentley students and Bentley Psychology Professor Greg Hall will present workshops on bullying and cyber-bullying to parents and teachers, providing them with the skills they need to recognize, prevent and act on bullying. The program will include:

An overview on bullying and its impact
Break-out sessions designed specifically for the parents of elementary, middle school and high school students. These sessions will address:
- Definitions of bullying
- Prevention strategies
- Tips for parents on how to initiate pro-active discussion with their children about bullying
- Resources available to help

"Our students are providing parents and teachers with the knowledge and tools they need to help them and their children deal with a growing epidemic," says Psychology Professor Greg Hall.

In Bentley's own backyard of Waltham, Mass., a team of students led by Bentley Senior and Service-Learning Leader Sarah Benson, have reached out to key community organizations including the Waltham Police Department, Boys and Girls Clubs, non-profit organizations and local businesses, who have all committed to support the One Goal, One Community program. "To sustain the movement, we need all parties in the community to form an emotional attachment to the program," says Benson. "The students are the backbone of the community -- the 'change agents'-- but they cannot do it alone."
On Wednesday, November 10th, in a series of rallies at Milton high school, middle school and elementary schools, Bentley students will address 4,000 Milton K-12 students encouraging them to reject bullying and pledge support for culture change. The Milton students will receive anti-bullying bracelets designed especially for them and will be asked to sign an anti-bullying pledge.

The One Goal, One Community program was established in April 2010 at Bond University in Australia by Associate Professor of Management and Director of the Bond University LEAP Research Centre, Dr. Amy Kenworthy, a Bentley alum. Kenworthy brought Bentley student Benson on to help her grow the program while she studied abroad at Bond as a service-learning representative. Upon Benson's return to Bentley she began leading the charge to replicate the program internationally.

One of Bensons' goals in bringing the initiative to Bentley is to have 20,000 community members sign the pledge against bullying by May 2011. Students at Bentley kicked-off their commitment to stand against bullying with a rally on campus in October. Hundreds of students attended and signed the pledge.

BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is one of the nation's leading business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of business leader – one with the deep technical skills, broad global perspective, and high ethical standards required to make a difference in an ever-changing world. Our rich, diverse arts and sciences program, combined with an advanced business curriculum, prepares informed professionals who make an impact in their chosen fields. Located on a classic New England campus minutes from Boston, Bentley is a dynamic community of leaders, scholars and creative thinkers. The McCallum Graduate School emphasizes the impact of technology on business practice, in offerings that include MBA and Master of Science programs, PhD programs in accountancy and in business, and customized executive education programs. The university enrolls approximately 4,000 full-time undergraduate, 250 adult part-time undergraduate, 1,400 graduate, and 40 doctoral students. Bentley is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; and the European Quality Improvement System, which benchmarks quality in management and business education.

SOURCE Bentley University