Black Eyed Peas producer supports new 'bullyproof' initiative by ABA Young Lawyers (see the video)
A songwriter and producer for the Black Eyed Peas is supporting a new anti-bullying initiative by the ABA Young Lawyers Division.
The one-year public service project to prevent bullying is called “bullyproof,” according to a press release.
Songwriter and musician Printz Board narrates a YLD video that also includes clips of President Barack Obama discussing the issue. Among those who confess on the video to being bullied as a child are Vice President Biden, who says he was ridiculed for a stuttering problem, and YLD chair Mario Sullivan, who says he was “taunted and teased” because he wasn’t like everyone else. “So I did think about suicide,” Sullivan says, and he came close to taking his own life.
According to the video, victims of bullying are up to nine times more likely to think about suicide.
The bullyproof initiative has three pillars. They are:
• Outreach: Going to schools to talk about the problem with administrators, teachers and students.
• Programming: Posting information on the YLD website to help lawyers who are representing schools, students or bullies.
• Best practices: Tools and materials to help young lawyers lobby for laws and policies that help fight bullying in schools and cyberbullying.