My distance-ed class through Cuesta College, LIBT 118, engaged in a semester-long discussion of websites that library workers could recommend for teens:
The purpose of “How to Deal with Being Bullied” is to reassure the targets of bullying that they are not at fault and that there are resources that can help them. The content reflects a belief that bullying is wrong, that its consequences can be harmful, that it violates a victim’s rights.
The website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Department of Education and Department of Justice. It was launched within this past year to address recent suicides of teens.
The webpage is part of a concerted effort by the U.S. government to provide resources to combat bullying. It advises specific things that the victim of bullying can do.
Companion pages are geared toward “Kids,” “Teens,” “Parents,” “Educators” and “In the Community.”
The website also addresses the behavior of the person who has done the bullying, taking the approach that the person may think that he or she was only joking around. It asks that person to “Put yourself in their shoes.”
I think an important component to teen services is for library employees to recognize that some teens may be victims of bullying. The library should be equipped to refer adolescents to resources like the one above, combined with resources that are specific to the local community.
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