Senator Kelly Attends Anti-Bullying Forum in Trumbull

Senator Kelly speaks at the “Bullying Ends Here” forum on March 6th.

Trumbull – State Senator Kevin C. Kelly (R-21) and State Representatives Larry Miller (R-122), Brenda Kupchick (R-132) and Tony Hwang (R-134) attended the “Bulling Ends Here” public policy breakfast hosted by the Center for Women and Families at the Trumbull Public Library on Tuesday, March 6th.

“Last year’s bill is recognition that bullying is not limited to the school yard,” said Senator Kelly. “And with social media such as Facebook, Twitter and texting, bullying is an even greater source of stress and anxiety for our children. While schools and law enforcement agencies will be responsible for identifying and addressing bullying, we cannot discount the value and role parents have to teach their children about bullying and to improve their child’s self esteem.”

Last year marked a great start to creating a standardized procedure to identifying and solving the all-too-common problem of bullying. Local leaders in government, community organizations and school systems gathered at this event to talk about best practices and prevention methods when dealing with poor interactions between students.

“Ensuring that young people in Connecticut are able to pursue their education in a safe environment should always be the community’s number one focus,” said Representative Miller. “The student event at the Trumbull Library proves attitudes on bullying are changing, it will not be tolerated in any form.”

“It was encouraging to see community and education leaders come forward to talk about an issue that can make or break our children,” said Representative Kupchick. “We will only succeed if we handle bullying as a community. It’s everyone’s job: parents, educators, and peer groups together.”

Legislation passed in 2011 established a “Safe School Climate Plan” that expanded the prior law on bullying. The law includes social media. It also provides every Connecticut school staff with training and instructions of how to handle bullying situations including what to look for, reports, investigations and meetings with parents.

“Our children must feel both safe and comfortable at school to succeed academically and reach their full potential,” concluded Representative Kupchick. “While we in the legislature have expanded the Bullying Law it also takes parents setting a good example and teachers and administrators working to ensure their schools are safe and bully free environments.”

The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County, Inc. provides high quality support and services to women and families. It serves the communities of Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. For more information, please visit their website at www.cwfefc.org.