I LOVE it when people are extremely passionate about what they do – when they pour their heart, body, mind, and soul into their purpose in life. I especially love it when that purpose is one that seeks to protect and help those who aren’t fully able to fend for themselves.
Heroes and heroines in action! Is there anything more beautiful?
I got an e-mail today from someone within a group of such heroes: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. They are seeking to help children, so let’s go ahead and call them Superheroes, shall we?
The e-mail was in response to a recent post I wrote about children who are bullies and the children who are bullied. Below is some of the gracious message, including some very important links.
Good mental health is important for every child – it affects every aspect of a child’s life and overall health. Trusted up-to-date resources make it easier to discuss mental health issues, educate readers, and protect our children.
Every day in our schools and communities, children are teased, threatened, or tormented by bullies. To help care for our youth, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) developed webpages and resources (print and online) that serve can as useful tools to you and your readers.
- About Bullying http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/15plus/aboutbullying.asp
Systems of Care http://www.systemsofcare.samhsa.gov/
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention http://nmhicstore.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/pubs.aspx
National Suicide Prevention Initiative http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/nspi/
These sites offer parents, caregivers, educators, and other professionals a great opportunity to know the facts, recognize signs and symptoms, and access easy to read tips on how to talk to children about mental health. These resources can help caregivers build healthier, safer environments and support anti-bullying initiatives. For additional information on this topic and more, or to order resources at no cost, please call the SAMHSA hotline at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 or visit http://www.samhsa.gov/shin/.
Its curious how bully has become such a big thing in conversation. This reinforces the energy around the buzz word. Some people would even argue talking about something gives it more energy and power. Professionals can accuse employers of bullying and win large sums of money in law suits. Children face incredible pressure in school from bullying and yet, this habit is not always nipped in the bud early on. The topic actually came up over conversation this evening. The hotline is a useful piece of info. Not everyone knows where to turn.
Liara Covert’s last blog post..Liberate yourself from fear
Thanks for the links 🙂
Bonnie’s last blog post..Epiphany Journal
Liara, personally, I think when it comes to what a lot of kids (whether they’re 6 or 19) go through at school – bully doesn’t quite cover it. What many children endure because of race, looks, temperament, grades, money, sexual orientation, etc. is more like emotional abuse. I think it should be called such and treated as such.
The term “bully” is a throw back to schoolyard brats demanding lunch money. Demeaning another person to the point that they don’t even want to go to school is abuse and if teachers and parents treated it with the same punishment and seriousness that they’d treat physical abuse, a lot of people would be much happier and safer.
Lives would be changed and lives would be saved.
Accept the loss and understand the feelings that rush you. Ignoring emotions can lead to emotional and mental problems later. This is great tip for being in good mental health.
Well said, Viliyana – thanks for sharing. Beautiful name, by the way! – Joi