Austin Police Tell Kids, “It Gets Better!”

Here’s a moving video from the Austin, Texas Police Department and the It Gets Better project. In it, uniformed officers, victims’ advocates, and other police department employees share their experiences, encouragement, and support for young LGBT people. Central to the video is a powerful and direct statement from Art Acevedo, the Chief of Police in Austin, about acceptance for all, regardless of differences:

Facing Open House

Oh, Open House! The scramble to get ready, the shaking of what seems like a million hands, the graceful (you hope) redirection of parent disclosures that are better saved for a private meeting time, the insights gained from seeing interactions between kids and their parents, the happy reunions with former students who are back for a visit with their younger siblings (or, as is now my surreal reality, with their children), and the bleary-eyed stumble home after a 12+ hour day at school. Open House is always a wonderful event, but it’s exhausting!

This year, inspired by lots of great Open House ideas from other counselors’ blogs, I suggested to my co-counselor that we try something different.

Cyberbullying Infographic

Here’s a wonderfully clear and informative  infographic about cyberbullying.  The infographic is based on data gathered through McAfee’s 2012 Teen Internet Behavior Study. I’m definitely going to be incorporating it into my cyberbullying lessons, and thought you might like to do so too!

Will U Stand?

My heart swells when kids take action to make the world a better place for others. Today it’s practically bursting because of willUstand, a bullying prevention initiative by a local Vermonter, 12-year-old, Charleigh Gere, who is using music to share the message that “bystanders can make a difference and that when someone stands for another, they gift hope.” I am so excited about willUstand for several reasons (freebie alert!):

Captain Underpants Takes On SuperCounselor

One of the things I really, really love about school counseling is that you never quite know what is going to happen – and some of what does happen is often quite hilarious, at least in retrospect, if not actually in the moment. Such was the case on Friday, thank goodness! It had been a long week, which featured guest appearances on two of the three days by a child protective services worker, a police officer, and a guardian ad litem. And, no, they weren’t there for Career Cafe! But never fear, hilarity to the rescue!

“I Got Safe So Quickly!”: How Kids Feel After Telling About Sexual Abuse

In the days after a student discloses abuse, I always touch base to see how things are going. I tell them (again) how brave they were and how proud of them I am. Unfortunately, not all of these stories have happy endings, but in many cases, telling helps kids find safety, and they feel protected, empowered, and proud of themselves. Some of the most profoundly moving moments of my career as a school counselor have come when kids have told me about how telling made such a difference in how they are feeling about their situations and about themselves. Here is some of what they have told me (and how I plan to use their words to help other kids too):