Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

  (1) Facebook aims to help prevent suicide
  (2) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Kids Struggle on the Streets
  (3) HOMEFRONT COLUMN: Kevin Epling, father of boy named in Michigan’s anti-bullying law, would amend law to address cyberbullying

  (4) West Virginia Education Board OKs LGBT-Inclusive Anti-Bullying Policy
  (5) Both sides turn out to criticize Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy

  (6) Ware Students Say “No” to Bullying
  (7) Record number attend gay-straight student conference: Schools, donor work together to provide transportation

  (8) School on defensive after telling parents their son is gay
  (9) Sen Kerry Demands LGBT-Friendly Financial Aid
(10) Vermont fraternity suspended for survey question on rape preference
(11) Wyoming students report increases in bullying, being bullied
(12) Rise in Social Media Correlates with Safer Experiences for Teens
(13) Howell mom sues over son getting suspended after debate about gays in school
(14) Tennessee Math Teacher Suspended After Allegedly Writing 'Stupid' on Student's Forehead

(15) School Bullying Report Makes Recommendations To Address Issue, Support Victims

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 (1) Facebook aims to help prevent suicide

By Brooke Donald, Associated Press
MENLO PARK, Calif. – Facebook is making it easier for people who express suicidal thoughts on the social networking site to get help.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-12-13/facebook-suicide-prevention/51867032/1

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(2) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Kids Struggle on the Streets

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES - Dec. 13, 2011
Tiffany "LIFE" Cocco has been homeless for seven years, living on park benches, stoops and New York City's A train.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/national-report-16-million-youth-homeless-experts-40/story?id=15147566#.TvAtK1YkKSp

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(3) HOMEFRONT COLUMN: Kevin Epling, father of boy named in Michigan’s anti-bullying law, would amend law to address cyberbullying

By James David Dickson, Heritage Media
When Kevin Epling went looking for answers after his son, Matt, was subjected to a particularly brutal round of bullying, school and police officials in the East Lansing community were content to view Matt Epling’s hazing as a rite of passage, Kevin recalls.
http://www.heritage.com/articles/2011/12/12/opinion/doc4ee667185342a586716576.txt?viewmode=fullstory

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(4) West Virginia Education Board OKs LGBT-Inclusive Anti-Bullying Policy

Posted by Chris Geidner | December 14, 2011 4:30 PM
One week after the U.S. Department of Education released a report detailing state policies on bullying, the West Virginia Board of Education took action to ensure that both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" are included in the state's anti-bullying policies. The move brings it into line with the majority of states that the Education Department report found include enumerated categories in their state's anti-bullying policies.
http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/12/one-week-after-the-us.html

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(5) Both sides turn out to criticize Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy

By Beth Hawkins | Published Tue, Dec 13 2011 9:40 am
You can hardly blame them for trying.
http://www.minnpost.com/learningcurve/2011/12/13/33787/both_sides_turn_out_to_criticize_anoka-hennepins_proposed_controversial_topics_policy

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(6) Ware Students Say “No” to Bullying

By Ray Hershel - December 13th, 2011
(BOSTON, Mass.) (WGGB)– Thousands of students from across Massachusetts came together on Tuesday to take a stand against bullying.
http://www.wggb.com/2011/12/13/ware-students-say-no-to-bullying/

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(7) Record number attend gay-straight student conference: Schools, donor work together to provide transportation

By J.M. BROWN - Posted: 12/13/2011
SANTA CRUZ -- A record number of local high school students attended Saturday's statewide Gay-Straight Alliance conference, which educators and students say reflects a growing interest in advocacy clubs for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and their allies.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_19534918

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(8) School on defensive after telling parents their son is gay

By Sylvia Wood, msnbc.com
A school district in Utah is defending its decision to “out” a middle-school student as gay to his parents in light of safety and bullying concerns.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9447882-school-on-defensive-after-telling-parents-their-son-is-gay

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(9) Sen Kerry Demands LGBT-Friendly Financial Aid

By Michelle Garcia - Advocate.com December 14, 2011
Sen. John Kerry is urging the federal government to remove barriers that discriminate against incoming college students who are transgender or the children of same-sex parents and looking for financial aid.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/14/Sen_Kerry_Demands_LGBT_Friendly_Financial_Aid/

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(10) Vermont fraternity suspended for survey question on rape preference

December 15, 2011 -- Tina Susman
A University of Vermont fraternity has been suspended and could face further discipline after it circulated a survey asking members to name the person they'd like to rape, and the frat's national organization said he was shocked by the local chapter's behavior.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/vermont-fraternity-suspended-rape-question-survey.html

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(11) Wyoming students report increases in bullying, being bullied

By JACKIE BORCHARDT Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Thursday, December 15, 2011
More than half of Wyoming middle school students have been bullied on school grounds and more than one-fourth said they’ve been the bully, according to results of a statewide survey released Wednesday.
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming-students-report-increases-in-bullying-being-bullied/article_4e169be8-bd39-5fe0-b5c7-51c187ede1d9.html

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(12) Rise in Social Media Correlates with Safer Experiences for Teens

Larry Magid - Posted: 12/15/11
Here's a shocker for some. By two important measures, teens are safer online now than they were before the advent of social media.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-magid/social-media-online-safety-kids_b_1152584.html

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(13) Howell mom sues over son getting suspended after debate about gays in school

Dec. 16, 2011  |  By David Ashenfelter, Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
A Howell mother has sued her school district and a teacher for booting her son out of class last year because her son's religious beliefs prevented him from accepting homosexuality.
http://www.freep.com/article/20111216/NEWS06/112160458/Howell-mom-sues-over-son-getting-suspended-after-debate-about-gays-in-school

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(14) Tennessee Math Teacher Suspended After Allegedly Writing 'Stupid' on Student's Forehead

By CHRISTINA CARON - Dec. 16, 2011
A Tennessee teacher suspended earlier this month for allegedly writing the word "stupid" on a student's forehead is now being investigated for other instances of inappropriate behavior, the county school director said today.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/tennessee-math-teacher-suspended-allegedly-writing-stupid-students/story?id=15170786#.TvAw6lYkKSq

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(15) School Bullying Report Makes Recommendations To Address Issue, Support Victims

Filed by Emmeline Zhao  | 12/17/11
School bullying does not directly cause more students to skip school, but challenges to the underlying social and emotional complexities exist, new research shows.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/17/school-bullying-report-ma_n_1155250.html

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