To our supporters and followers,
Dance 4 Peace could not be more excited about the building political will in the United States to make bullying prevention a priority in our schools and communities. In the last year, we have witnessed the loss of too many young lives, particularly in the LGBT community, and it has become clear that words that really do hurt. As a nation, it is about time that we do all we can to stop it.
We commend the recent legislative actions of New Jersey and California in leading the trend in anti-bullying policy-making. The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights and Seth's Law mark some of the strongest responses to bullying across the nation. While their critics have asked the right questions – how will we fund and enforce these policies – overwhelmingly, it is hard to disagree with the premise that NO CHILD should feel unsafe when at school, in their communities, or online.
Since our inception, Dance 4 Peace has worked to address the roots of bullying and school violence. Through our innovative, movement-based programming, we build the social and emotional competencies necessary to be an empathetic, compassionate individual. When students learn to express empathy, they look out for their classmates, reconsider their words, and, as we teach at D4P, put themselves in someone else's shoes. At D4P, we have always known that empathy is fundamental. Now, more than ever, we need innovative ways to integrate empathy, and social and emotional learning, into our core curricula.
While these laws signify a step in the right direction, there is still much work to be done. Changing the culture around bullying and school violence will not happen overnight. Rather, this work will require a concerted effort on the part of school administrators, educators, students, and community members to put these policies in action. Students will need to speak up when they see students bullying another. Educators will have to take reports seriously. As communities, we will need to follow through on our promise that we will not tolerate bullying. Only then can we begin to shift our culture, so that students feel safer in their classrooms and schools.
Truly,
Sara Potler
Founder and CEO, Dance 4 Peace
