BPL Partners with David Matthews Center for Series of Bullying Forums

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DID YOU KNOW...

Every 30 minutes, a child commits suicide as a DIRECT RESULT of BEING BULLIED

28% of children carrying guns have witnessed violence in their homes

Every 7 minutes a child is BULLIED on a school playground, 85% happen without intervention

More than 85% of teenagers say revenge after BULLYING is the leading cause of school shootings and homicide

26% Female 46% Male involved in fights are due to BEING BULLIED

According to the U.S. Secret Service, 2/3 of 37 school shootings involved attackers who “felt persecuted, BULLIED, threatened, attacked or injured by others prior to the incident

19,000 BULLIED children commit suicide over the course of one year*

Headline News: February 7, 2013 – Bullying Attack Leaves 11-year-old in Coma. These headlines recur daily in our hometowns, in cities large and small around our country and across the globe. What are we doing about it? Are we part of the problem or can we be part of the solution? The Birmingham Public Library and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life invite the public to participate in an Alabama Issues Forum on bullying. Forums will be held May 13-May 23 at a number of Birmingham Public Libraries.

Nearly a third of students experience bullying each year, and more than 160,000 young people miss school each day due to fears of being bullied. While Alabama continues to make progress related to bullying, the statistics and stories of bullied students are alarming. Reducing bullying incidents will require us working together as a community, and the educational and public safety effects of ignoring this issue are grave.

The Birmingham Public Library and the David Matthews Center for Civic Life invite the citizens of our communities to engage in an open forum with the opportunity to carefully weigh different approaches to and perspectives on the issue of bullying.

“There is no higher office than the office of citizen, and deliberative forums give citizens a chance to talk through what they hold valuable related to an issue,” says Chris McCauley, Executive Director of the David Mathews Center. “Bullying is an issue that can affect schools, communities, and office environments. It’s up to citizens to think through creative, community-based solutions to address the issue.”

The forums will be held at the following locations:
Eastwood Library - May 13, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
East Ensley Library - May 14, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Inglenook Recreation Center - May 15, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Powderly Library - May 16, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
East Lake Library – May 18, 10:00 a.m.–12 noon
Central Library (downtown) - May 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Smithfield Library, May 23, 10:00 a.m.-12 noon

For more information, contact Sandi Lee, Birmingham Public Library, 226-3742.

*Source: Bullying: What is it: How Do We Prevent It? An issues guide for Alabama Issues Forums David Matthews Center for Civic Life