At the same time, as advocates of bullying prevention, we want to caution our community to understand bullying and suicide are very complex issues. We encourage parents and teachers to take a careful look at the movie before allowing your child or student to view it.

We do not endorse any political views but did want to share with you a passage from an article written by Slate senior editor Emily Bazelon who interviewed Ann Haas, a senior project specialist for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

She quoted Haas as saying “Hirsch (Director of “Bully”) has created a real risk of suicide contagion—the documented phenomenon of people mimicking suicidal behavior in light of media representations. “I worry terribly about the contagion effect,” Haas said. “One message of this move is: ‘Bullying kills’—as if it’s a normal response to kill yourself, when of course most people who are bullied don’t do that.”

At the end of the day, we all have to be careful that we are not incorrectly portraying the issue of bullying which does a huge disservice to students and our entire community.

Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS) has been on the forefront of bullying prevention in our community by working with students, teachers, schools and families to address this serious issue through a variety of solution-based techniques. If you have any questions or need assistance, STARS specialists are located in most schools throughout the Nashville area or you can call 615-279-0058. In addition, we encourage anyone with concerns to contact the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network at 615-297-1077 or www.tspn.org.

The post “Bully” appeared first on STARS.

The free seminar is open to anyone in Williamson County and will be held on Friday, Oct. 7^th at 12:00 noon until 1 p.m. in the offices of United Way of Williamson County. Bring your own brown bag lunch but reservations are required with seating limited to 50 attendees. Contact Debby Rainey with United Way at 615-771-2312 for a reservation.

Bullying can happen anywhere – face-to-face, by text messages or on the web. It is not limited by age, gender, or education level. It is not a phase and it is not a joke. Bullying can cause lasting harm. There are many warning signs that could indicate that someone is involved in bullying. If you suspect that someone you know is being bullied or is bullying others, check out the warning signs so you can help at www.starsnashville.org.

United Way of Williamson County is dedicated to advancing the common good and creating opportunities for a good life for all members of our community. To do that, United Way addresses the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress toward a better life. In our 50^th year of caring for our community, we invite you to join us as we continue this rewarding work. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer.

To find out more about United Way of Williamson County, please visit: www.uwwc.org or call the office at 615-771-2312.

The post Patricia Hart Society/Williamson United Way Helps Parents appeared first on STARS.