Personal Mission Statements

Personal Relationship to Topic

(The role you believe you can have in addressing this issue given your personal mission.)

Personal Mission Statement

I am called to make a positive impact on my “part of the world” so as to leave it better because of my life’s journey.  I will strive to achieve and celebrate this by continuing to learn and grow so as to formulate a personalized vision for myself, a collective vision for others, and turn it into a sustainable reality.

Given my personal mission, as Principal of Asa Clark Middle School, in the School District of Pewaukee, I believe it is imperative for me to actively address the individual, organizational, and societal problems associated with bullying.  Kids who become associated with bullying through directly being bullied, being the actual bully, or being a bystander to bullying can experience dramatically negative short-term and long-term results.      

Kids Who are Bullied

Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience:

• Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.
• Health complaints
• Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

A very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters had a history of being bullied.

Kids Who Bully Others

Kids who bully others can also engage in violent and other risky behaviors into adulthood. Kids who bully are more likely to:

• Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
• Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
• Engage in early sexual activity
• Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
• Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults

Bystanders

Kids who witness bullying are more likely to:

• Have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs
• Have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
• Miss or skip school

The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide

Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors. Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can make an unsupported situation worse.

Bullying – A Wicked Problem

 Bullying has long been a problem in the educational system.  The long-term impact of bullying is such that the impact on individuals, organizational, and society are dramatic.  With the advent of increased technology, cyber-bullying has only made the problem more severe.  In order to best combat the problem, my focus is on using learning and digital citizenship as vehicles to address the problem in "my part of the world."