Idiot

Fag

Horseface

Slap and spit. Punch and push.

These are the sounds of bullying. And they echo through our school yards and hallways.

Bullying. Even the word is ugly. And school officials are scrambling to solve the problem. The Culture Bump Approach to dealing with differences offers one solution. It guides students in developing specific skills for reacting to people who look different, sound different or think differently. Martha Mendoza, an administrator in Laredo Independent School District discovered this recently. She says,

When I was introduced to the Culture Bump Approach for dealing with differences, I was struck by the realization that the bullying problem in public schools in America today is directly attributed to Culture Bumps among students. I immediately envisioned an elective course in middle and high schools which trains a core of student in these skills and techniques.

Not only is it a practical program, it is research based and has been field-tested for over 25 years. This could be an important first step in decreasing incidents of bullying.

(June 24, 2012)