Committee for Children Blog

Put an End to Name-Calling in 2012

| By: Committee for Children

 

The Mayan calendar ends in 2012, and some interpret this as heralding the end of the world. Let’s hope not! But there is one thing we can and should put an end to in 2012: name-calling. And you can help make that happen by participating in this year’s No Name-Calling Week from January 23–27.

Launched in 2004, No Name-Calling Week (NNCW) is the brainchild of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. The project partners drew inspiration from The Misfits, a young adult novel about a group of friends who, tired of the incessant teasing at their school, run for student council as the No-Name Party and create “No Name-Calling Day” to draw attention to their cause. NNCW's founders call it “an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an ongoing dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.”

Pick Your No Name-Calling Week Event

There are many ways to participate in No Name-Calling Week; any and every way you choose can help make 2012 the year when name-calling ended. The No Name-Calling Week Coalition hosts a website chock-full of event-planning guidance, lesson plans, materials, and other resources. What follows is a sampling of activities you can implement for NNCW. They range from simple to involved, so you’re sure to find at least one way you can participate in NNCW this year.

1. Get the facts on NNCW. Learn more about NNCW yourself or help spread the word to others with this one-page fact sheet.

2. Register for NNCW. Take this simple step to show support for NNCW. You’ll receive updates about NNCW events and resources.

3. Discover “10 Simple Ways to Celebrate No Name-Calling Week in Your School.” If you’re short on planning or instructional time, these 10 simple ways to celebrate will be your ticket to NNCW participation. These simple ways include:

4. Teach NNCW lessons. For a more in-depth approach, download free lesson plans for your elementary, middle, or high school classroom.

5. Plan a schoolwide NNCW event. If you’re really committed to ending name-calling in 2012, try organizing a NNCW in your school. First, read tips for planning a schoolwide event, then dive into the comprehensive planning guide, “Organizing a No Name-Calling Week in Your School,” to learn how to make it happen.

Make It a No Name-Calling Year

With all that momentum built up during NNCW, why bring it to a screeching halt on Friday, January 27? Make it a no name-calling year by continuing to raise awareness about the negative impact hurtful words can have on students’ well-being. Students ages 9 to 13 surveyed about bullying cited name-calling as the worst kind of verbal bullying. Research also shows that verbal bullying can have as much of a negative impact as physical bullying. And we also know that the social, emotional, and academic toll of bullying is felt not only by those who are bullied, but also by those who bully or witness bullying.

Since name-calling can be a form of verbal bullying, taking further steps to implement a comprehensive bullying prevention program is another way to continue your no name-calling efforts throughout the year. Committee for Children’s Steps to Respect program gives administrators, staff, and students the resources they need to create a safer school climate, free from bullying behaviors like name-calling. A study published in the Winter 2010 issue of School Psychology Review showed a 72 percent reduction of malicious gossip in Steps to Respect classrooms. The program can help you establish school policies and train staff to recognize bullying and intervene effectively and help make 2012 not the year the world ended (fingers crossed), but the year that saw the end of name-calling.