PCTN 2012 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Dear Friend,

In bullying situations, there is the bully, the victim, and the bystander(s). It's important to be a responsible bystander, yet many of us have probably experienced a bullying situation and not known what to do.

 A young boy moves to a new school. He speaks little English. Other students make fun of him, calling him stupid and telling him to go back where he came from, that he doesn't belong. Another student sees the hurt that is being done. He has compassion for this new student who can't speak up for himself. He intervenes and says, "Leave him alone. It's not his fault." The new student gains a friend and ally. The bullying gradually ends, and the new boy is accepted and acquires new friends.        Resource: True story from "Let's Get Real," a Groundspark film.

 The Youth Bullying Prevention Programs of the Paradise Center for Tolerance and Nonviolence (PCTN) teach children the importance of being an empowered witness by using nonviolent techniques to help other kids who are being bullied. Both victims and witnesses learn to speak up assertively to take the power away from the bullies and to handle situations themselves whenever possible.

As part of its 2012 plan, PCTN's leadership is committed to expanding our outreach to the broader community. To help people of all ages understand bullying behavior and to teach more children how to deal with bullying situations, we will:

*                Present a bullying prevention forum for parents, grandparents, teachers, and youth leaders.

*                   Provide links and education on our website on how children can respond assertively and nonviolently when witnessing bullying situations.

*                   Expand our youth bullying prevention programs to more classrooms and offer an afterschool program at PCTN's office.

This annual Membership Drive directly supports our bullying prevention work.  Please join PCTN in our efforts. Send your 2012 membership in the enclosed envelope or make your donation by credit card using PayPal on our website... just go to www.pctn.org and hit DONATE NOW. Thank you!

With gratitude,

Dan Johnson                                                         Donna Dolinar

President                                                               Resource Development Chair