It's Up to Schools to Teach 'Respect and Compassion,' Justice Official SaysBy Susan Jones
September 17, 2012
(CNSNews.com) - The effort to stop bullying doesn't begin at home. "Our common mission to stop bullying must start in our schools," said Thomas Perez, the head of the
U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Speaking Friday at a
bullying prevention summit in San Francisco, Perez said,
"It is in our schools that our children learn to live, play and work together. It is in our schools that fear and intolerance can take root; and it is in our schools that respect and compassion can be nurtured."
Perez’ speech included two references to “violence in the home,” but
he said nothing about parents' responsibility to teach their children to behave themselves.
He did mention parents as one of many partners in the anti-bullying mission –- along with government officials and others:
"We at the Justice Department are here to stand with you -- students, parents, community leaders, social media companies and local, state, and federal officials –
and partner in this mission. For when I visit communities across the country who are working hard to tackle bullying in schools and violence in their neighborhoods, I have seen time and time again that the most successful efforts are in partnership..."
Perez also mentioned "our kitchen tables, our community centers, and our places of worship" as places where bullied children can find support. And he touted the Justice Department's active role in the anti-bullying effort.
Perez noted that along with his colleagues at the Education Department, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is actively
enforcing the nation's civil rights laws to prevent and address bullying and harassment in schools.
"We are working to
amend school policies and provide training to teachers and administrators on how to rid schools of harassment and promote positive school climates in school districts across the country," he said.
Although bullying prevention is becoming "an issue of national priority," Perez said the work "is far from over."
"We must all continue to stand up, to speak out, and to act in ways both big and small – public and private – to reinforce the message that bullying knows no proper place."