March 28, 2024

Bullying summit to address solutions

DES MOINES (AP) — Educators, parents and students will gather for Gov. Terry Branstad’s second summit on bullying prevention.

The event will be held today in Des Moines. This year’s theme is “Mission Possible: Stepping Up the Response,” and is a follow-up to last year’s summit, which drew about 1,100 people.

The summit’s keynote speaker is Emily Bazelon, author of the book “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy.”

During the summit, there will be sessions on how students and adults can make a difference. Participants will explore good legal policy and support schools may need to better deal with bullying.

The governor’s push for anti-bullying legislation meant to help school districts combat harassment on social media sites failed during the last legislative session.