advertisement

Alexian takes lead in developing anti-bullying strategies

Alexian Brothers Health Network held the inaugural meeting of the Coalition for a Psychologically Healthy Community Feb. 25, but the work is just beginning.

The event brought together community members whose goal is to create a psychologically healthy community and put an end to bullying.

According to Alexian, bullying, including cyberbullying, is a near epidemic problem in the Northwest suburbs. Officials said there has been a large influx of patients and their families to their Behavioral Health Hospital outpatient bullying program in Hoffman Estates.

To address this, the network organized the Feb. 25 meeting with other community groups, schools and agencies that work with adolescents to discuss viable alternatives to bullying, violence and suicide.

Alexian officials cite statistics that suggest 30 percent of all children have been bullied, and in the Northwest suburbs, by the time they reach middle school, fully 88 percent of students have been victimized. Local middle schools say bullying is worse in middle schools than in high school.

There have been recent increases in cyberbullying, as well. Alexian's Behavioral Health Hospital programs said they are seeing an unprecedented degree of reported school and community violence, intimidation of those with special needs, sexual orientation issues, weight problems or from minority groups.

Until now, most anti-bullying programs have focused on the bullies and the bullied. The main focus of the new program is turning bystanders into what they call “upstanders.”

Organizers said they will set up groups that focus on school interventions, cyberbullying, bullying in the workplace and community advocacy for change.

For information, call Clifton Saper, executive director of intensive outpatient programs, (847) 755-8046, or Carol Hartmann, director of business development, (847) 755-8325.

  Cliff Saper, executive director of intensive outpatient services at Alexian Brothers, speaks at the bullying seminar in Hoffman Estates. Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com