"No sticks. No stones. No dissing."

They may not leave physical bruises, but words do hurt. Hurtful words can leave emotional scars and damage a person's self-esteem. Adults consider taunts and name-calling to be unacceptable behavior in the workplace. Why would we want any less for our youth?

Name-calling, taunts, and bullying not only damage a child's self-esteem and developing self-image; they can also have a very negative impact on his or her education. A child who is teased at school may have difficulty paying attention in class or even avoid going to school altogether to keep from having to face such harassment. January 24-28, 2005 is No Name-Calling Week and a terrific opportunity for schools and students to focus on the power of our words and how we can all treat each other with kindness and respect. The No Name-Calling Week Coalition has put together a Resource Kit to help schools celebrate and take action. In addition, they offer free resources, lesson plans, ideas, and more on their Web site. There you can also check out the winning entries in the 2004 No Name-Calling Week Creative _Expression and Educator contests, which include students' creative writing and an "Integrated Bullying/School Climate Unit" for teachers.

Teachers are in a great position to teach children the power of their words and their ability to bring someone down as well as to build them up. Help kids discover how much better it feels to use this power for good!

No Name-Calling Week: <http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home.html>
Free resources: <http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/resources/index.html>
http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/index.html

No Name-Calling Week focuses on schools, but there's a whole lot that parents can do to foster empathy and teach kids how to avoid name-calling <http://www.guidancechannel.com/default.aspx?M=a&index=1441&cat=13>
http://www.vtaide.com/png/ERIC/Easing-Teasing.htm

Page Updated: January 24, 2005