'Bridging the Gap'
Often, when I watch the news on TV, I am reminded of the No. 1 challenge many of our children and youth face daily in school – bullying. Our youth should be focused on grades, friendships or sports. Instead, they are being bullied or acting as the bully. And as youth have access to cell phones and computers, cyber bullying is becoming more common. Technology has made it possible for children to send text messages and post comments online that are unkind, hurtful and threatening.
The American Legion has a strong dedication to supporting our nation’s youth and wants to see bullying stopped. To support our efforts, we have created an educational comic book, "Bridging the Gap," to help middle school age children recognize, prevent and stop bullying.
"Bridging the Gap" features six main characters and includes two stories that are interwoven throughout the book. One story focuses on physical bullying and the other on cyberbulling. Each story focuses on how to:
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Define and recognize bullying behavior;
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Understand and protect the rights of others;
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Prevent and stop being bullied yourself;
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Prevent and stop bullying of others; and
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Stop cyber bullying
I strongly encourage Legion posts and family members to raise awareness about bullying in their community by distributing copies of "Bridging the Gap" to local schools. The comic book can be purchased through Emblem Sales for 75 cents apiece, or 59 cents apiece for the purchase of 100 or more.
The Legion has four other educational comic books for children and youth that can be purchased through Emblem Sales:
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"Our Country’s Veterans" features veterans’ contributions to our country and the world.
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"Our Country’s Flag" explains the history, significance and proper treatment of the U.S. flag.
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"I Pledge Allegiance" includes interactive activities and stories that teach how and why we pledge allegiance to our flag.
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"Light of Liberty" details our fight for freedom, how our government works, and the rights and responsibilities of every citizen.