Committee for Children Blog

Get a Two-fer This October with Bullying Prevention

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. It’s the perfect time to shine a light on the bullying prevention efforts in your setting and find ways to beef them up. And while doing so, you’ll also be doing important work to create a safe and supportive learning environment. Now that’s a two-fer—two benefits for the price of one—everyone…Read More


back to school

Create a Safe and Supportive School with SEL

By Tonje Molyneux

It’s that time of year again. Kids are heading back to school after a summer off. It’s time to buckle down and get back to the business of learning, but are they ready? What kind of learning environment do students need to be ready to learn?

Safety and support are important for learning…

In answer to that question, research points to a safe and…Read More


Student Support Plan

This planning tool from the Second Step Child Protection Unit can help you choose and implement strategies that will meet the social-emotional needs of a student who needs support.

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Fostering School and Family Partnerships

Schools and families both play critical roles in students’ social-emotional and academic success. To meaningfully strengthen these important partnerships, we must first abandon the notion that family engagement is about whether family members attend school events or volunteer in the school buildings. It also includes the things that families do at home with their children (Wilson, 2013). It encompasses both parent voice and presence.Read More


school safety, SEL, social emotional learning, child safety

SEL Helps Schools Create Safe, Supportive Learning Environments

Schools can be a sanctuary where all children—including those who need it most—experience safety and support. And when children feel safe and supported, they are ready to learn. Learn how SEL can help to create a safe and supportive learning environment. Read More


The (Near) Future of Abuse Prevention: A Conversation with Joan Duffell

Child Abuse Prevention Month (April) is just around the corner, so PR Manager Allison Wedell Schumacher sat down with Joan Cole Duffell, executive director of Committee for Children, to talk about the organization's past, present, and future in abuse prevention, and about our new Child Protection Training that will be released later…

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A Story About Bullying: Part 3

I offer one final series of reflections on the subject of my last two blogs; the bullying situation of Connor and his parents. Here are some thoughts and comments that have flooded my mind as Connor’s parents and I continue to stay in touch. They are important to share, especially with those of you who may be having similar experiences yourselves, or with your children or students.Read More


Wall-to-Wall Bullying Prevention

by Jill Ramsay

Many schools and districts are faced with increasing state and district mandates to implement bullying curricula and lessons for all students. But more importantly, educators want to foster a learning environment free from bullying, and the best way to do that is to implement a bullying prevention program schoolwide. Finding a research-based curriculum that provides direct instruction to students and training for staff can be challenging at…Read More


Bullying Isn’t Cool

by Rachel Kamb

Paul is small for his age—and Jordan is constantly there to remind him. “Puny Paul” is what Jordan and his friends like to call him. During a typical recess, Paul can be found cowering at the edge of the playground while Jordan spits on him. Paul might try to move away, but there is nowhere for him to go. Jordan’s friends laugh, while other students either pretend they don’t see…

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It’s Never too Late for Bullying Prevention

by Emilie Coulter

The tenth anniversary of No Name-Calling Week is a good time to remember that it’s not too late to adopt a bullying prevention program in school. In fact, many educators and others who work with children believe that bullying often increases in the second half of the year, due in part to accumulated academic and social frustrations, concerns about upcoming transitions, and anticipation of summer.

Scott Poland, Ed.D.,…Read More