Georgia communities take steps to curb bullying in schools

By Staff Writer

School officials and community members in Georgia are taking a stand against bullying in schools.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that recent stories of young people committing suicide as a direct result of bullying has prompted more adults to become proactive. One elementary school organized a day-long seminar led by a bullying expert, which was open to students, parents and faculty. The institution's principal said that she is already seeing positive results from the seminar, as more students have reported incidents of bullying.

The seminar was led by the author of a book that helps parents and educators stop bullying and social aggression, the news provider reports. He said that parents must take responsibility for knowing what their children are doing on the Internet, and they should also look for differences in power between the child and his or her peers.

He said there are some obvious signs that bullying may be occurring, including mood swings, missing school supplies and avoiding places or activities that they used to enjoy.

According to the National Institute of Health, a child is bullied on a playground an average of every seven minutes in America. Approximately 85 percent of those incidents result in no intervention, while only 4 percent are stopped by an adult.