Bullystoppers.com!
Free Bully Reporting & Skills Training
Site Author: Tom Letson, NJ SAC LPC LCADC

Click Here for info about Tom's Private Counseling Practice in NJ

About Bullystoppers.com

Tom Letson is the Student Assistance Coordinator at Middletown
High School South in New Jersey. He had recently been the Student
Assistance Coordinator for the Howell Township School District for
over a decade implementing an annual Bully Prevention Program in
three middle schools.  Tom developed Bullystoppers.com in 2001 in
response to the lack of available means for students to safely
report bullying anonymously to adults at their schools.  The
reporting philosophy on Bullystoppers.com was a direct result from
Tom's professional successes in implementing an anonymous bully
reporting system in Howell's three middle schools.

A participant in three international online school bullying and
violence conferences , Tom was also a consultant to the award
winning commercial "Collecting Rocks" which served to inform the
Canadian public of the seriousness of bullying in Canada's schools.  
Collecting Rocks depicts the tragic suicide of 14 year old Hamed
Nastoh,  who jumped to his death from a bridge committing suicide
after years of torment from peers in school.

Tom is an advocate of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program,
which emphasizes a school-wide approach to Bullying Prevention.  
He is also an advocate of teaching students, when appropriate,
avoidance strategies and psychological defense tactics and skills
when confronted with bullying.  The goal is to reduce the bully's
emotional pay-off and bolster the victim's self-esteem.  

It should be noted that some bullying professionals disagree with
teaching children such strategies because they feel it sends the
message that the victim is primarily responsible for ending the
bullying.  Depending on the developmental period of the child in
question, this is a sensible approach. For example, a third grader is
not developmentally capable of consciously controlling his
non-verbal behavior to avoid giving a bully the emotional payoff he
desires.  This being the case, teaching a 3rd grader avoidance and
psychological defense tactics is not appropriate.  A 7th grader on
the the otherhand, is developmentally capable to learn and
implement these skills.  Tom's question to those professionals who
discourage such skills training:  why would we not teach this child
not to give a bully an emotional payoff?  One professional who
disagrees with teaching victims strategies and skills even
suggested that teaching children to be assertive, a life skill, is
contraindicated when it comes to bullying.  

Tom believes that teaching students who are determined to be
good candidates to learn and use skills to avoid and reduce the risk
of bullying is comparable to the rationale in teaching personal safety
skills and tactics. Click here.

Tom has also authored the self-help book, 4 Downs to Anger
Control, which uses football as a metaphor to teach anger control
skills, was recently purchased by Florida International University
Football Team following the nationally televised brawl with the
University of Miami in October 2006.   

Tom is available for trainings and speaking engagements on the
topics of bullying and anger management.  He also has a private
counseling practice in Millstone NJ, specializing in helping children
with bullying, anger management for children and adults, and
substance abuse evaluation and counseling for adolescents and
adults.  Call Tom today to schedule an appointment - (732)
547-2603.
CONTROL ANGER
with FOOTBALL!
by Tom Letson, MA LPC












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