Standing Strong: Bringing Anti-Bullying Mission To Minnesota

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE IS POSSIBLE

Kirk and Laura Smalley lost their son, Richard Ty Field-Smalley in 2010 due to the effects of bullying. Since that time, Kirk and Laura have worked incredibly hard to prevent other families from having to go through the same pain and loss as they have. They have traveled all over the United States, and visited several other countries as well, doing their best to spread a message of love and support to ALL children who need it. You can listen to my interview with Kirk Smalley by clicking on the audio player below.

Get our free mobile app

A DEVASTATED FAMILY SPEAKS

The Smalleys even met with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to talk about bullying and what can be done to protect and ensure that kids can grow up safe and whole.

Sadly, in 2020, Laura Smalley suffered a brain aneurysm and passed away. Now; Kirk, knowing that his family is still with him in spirit, continues to fight for his mission of a world without bullying.

STAND FOR THE SILENT - COMING TO MINNESOTA

StandForTheSilent.org was created by a group of high school students in Oklahoma, shortly after they heard the story of Kirk, Laura, and Ty Smalley. Through this organization, Kirk travels the world, sharing important information with those who have been bullied, teachers, students, and even the bullies themselves; changing lives for the better, by providing an engaging, factual, and emotional presentation, that shares the first-hand experience of life and death consequences of bullying. Kirk is coming to Minnesota to speak to a group in Waseca soon.

BULLYING IN MINNESOTA

Some of my children have suffered bullying since we moved back to Minnesota. When they attended Pease Christian Academy, we didn't have that problem. But when they attended Princeton Middle School, everything changed. I'm still disappointed to this day, that they came to my hometown of Princeton, that they had this experience. It causes a major lack of self-esteem and carries on with them through life. I feel like it's our responsibility to do something about it; for all involved. After talking with Kirk, it's clear that it's not something the teachers can fix; it's not something that parents can fix; it needs to come from the students themselves; and when offered a 90-minute presentation that shows that actions do result in death; many bullies and others are changing their ways.

You can learn more about their story on the StandForTheSilent.org organization by clicking HERE to go to their Facebook page. Parents, teachers, and students reading this article can also start their chapter focusing on bullying and invite Kirk to share his presentation at local schools.

SOCIAL BULLETS

There is another important website that has been created that we can all get information from and make sure we do something about bullying in our schools. The website is socialbullets.org.

Communities and schools need to come together to make sure programs like Kirk's can come into the school and speak directly to and with the students this is happening to. The program is for bullies as much as it is for the bullied. Kirk gave me another website that offers a cyberbullying handbook for parents, and a K-2 bullying prevention curriculum.

I've read reviews on the website and it's amazing what communication of what can happen when a student bullies another, can change within the bullies themselves. I've spoken with wonderful children who have suffered from bullying for years, and nothing ever seems to change.

PARENTS AND STUDENTS CAN ASK THEIR SCHOOLS TO BRING THIS FREE PROGRAM

I don't believe we can sit back and 'accept' that children who bully are going to continue to ruin families' lives. I encourage our educators to reach out to this organization and create something in our schools like this program to address the problem in a way that can combat it. This can help save the lives of so many.