Circle of Respect (January 25, 2010)
On January 15, 2010 at the National Press Club here in Washington, DC, I had the opportunity to attend a webcast panel discussion and learn about an exciting campaign called The Circle of Respect, sponsored by our partners at the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC). The Circle of Respect, according to NCPC, is designed to "inspire us to live in ways that embody respect where we live, learn, work, and play." To succeed in its mission, the Circle of Respect will feature an education campaign, outreach materials including publications and public service advertising, and partnership efforts to reach a national audience. Launching a national conversation around respect, online aggression, and their links to crime prevention, the Circle of Respect's first panel discussion focused on adolescent aggression and cyberbullying. In the future, the campaign will expand in scope to include harassment, vandalism, theft, dating violence, alcohol and other drug abuse, and other behavior in which issues of respect are paramount among young people and adults.
The Campaign's first panel discussion challenged listeners to discard traditional beliefs that bullying is a rite of passage and instead embrace the idea that respect and consideration for others is what we should expect and maybe even demand as a society. I found the discussion both intriguing and encouraging. What I found most intriguing was the panel's emphasis on adolescent girls and their involvement with cyberbullying. Surprisingly, young girls are both disproportionately victims of cyberbullying and disproportionately the cyberbullies according to the panelists. This news most certainly informed my understanding of adolescent aggression. I was also encouraged by the panel's willingness to raise awareness and mobilize people and communities to think critically about the link between respect and violence. Although the focus of the panel was online aggression, the discussion underscored the importance of linking respect to efforts to combat crime and achieve safe communities.
I want to thank and recognize NCPC for spearheading the campaign and holding steady on the course toward crime-free communities.
I encourage everyone to visit www.circleofrespect.org to find out more and to learn how you can become a champion or a sponsor of the Circle of Respect.
