Bay Area Youth Summit - Addressing Bullying in Our Schools

On Saturday, April 28, 2011 I was honored to be a speaker at the first ever Bay Area Youth Summit (BAYS), hosted by the Aragon High School Gay/Straight Alliance at Aragon High School.   The all-day conference, organized and hosted by high school youth leaders from throughout the Bay Area, addressed the topic of bullying in schools and the larger community, including ways to confront and deter bullying. 

Nationwide, bullying continues to be an  issue that is recognized as disruptive and dangerous in our schools.  Students today are subject to increase bullying not just withing the four walls of the school, but online via the internet and social networking sites, and also through text messages.  In a recent case in Massachusetts, six teens have been charged in criminal court with driving a classmate to commit suicide as a result of their bullying. 

In San Mateo, I applaud the work of students in our high schools to raise awareness of this important issue.  I was impressed with the organizers of the Bay Area Youth Summit to convene a conference to tackle the issue of bullying, and discuss amongst their peers ways to combat the problem. 

I was proud to speak at the BAYS conference to let them know that the City of San Mateo stands with them and all students in recognizing the serious issue of bullying, and to pledge our support to recognize the importance of diversity and tolerance in our community. 

Below is a photo of organizer Jason Galisatus accepting a certificate of recognition from the City of San Mateo presented to the Aragon Gay/Straight Alliance for their work in organizing this wonderful conference

Bay Area Youth Summit organizer Jason Galisatus receiving certificate of recognition from City of San Mateo on behalf of the Aragon High School Gay/Straight Alliance for organizing this important conference. 

For more resources on addressing bullying, check out stopbullying.gov, an official government website dedicated to addressing this issue.