HHS & ED Re-Launch StopBullying.Gov

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education recently announced the re-launch of StopBullying.gov, a federal website filled with information, resources, and tools to assist children, families, schools, and communities in their efforts to stop and prevent bullying.

Students who are the victims of bullying may become disengaged from school, are more likely to abuse drugs, and are at a greater risk for suicide. But as HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius notes, "'Bullying is not just an education or health problem, it is a community problem.'" For this reason, StopBullying.gov has a variety of resources, including factsheets and training materials, targeted at a wide range of community members, from individuals who are the victims of bullying and their families, to educators and community based organizations.

Of particular note is the "Working in Communities" section of the website, which presents strategies and tools for addressing and preventing bullying including:

• Assessments schools can use to determine the extent and severity of bullying among their students as well as the adequacy of staff responses;
• Guidelines for developing bullying prevention policies in schools and communities; and
• A toolkit to aid the development of broad partnerships between community-based organizations and government agencies to prevent bullying and other problems, such as truancy, and improve outcomes for students.