GLSEN Announces Dates for 2009 No Name-Calling Week

GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and the nearly 50 partners in the No Name-Calling Week Coalition are pleased to announce the dates for the sixth annual No Name-Calling Week, Jan. 26-30, 2009.

Aimed at grades 5-8 with additional lesson plans for earlier grades, No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

Thousands of schools are expected to participate in the week inspired by the young adult novel, The Misfits, by popular author James Howe. The book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent name-calling, bullying and harassment. The students create a "No Name Day" at school in hopes of creating a safer environment.

No Name-Calling Week Coalition partners include the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, Girl Scouts of the USA, the National School Boards Association and the National Education Association.

In GLSEN’s 2005 report, From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, 47 percent of junior/middle high school students identified bullying, name-calling or harassment as somewhat serious or very serious problems at their school. Additionally, 69 percent of junior/middle high school students reported being assaulted or harassed in the previous year and only 41 percent said they felt very safe at school. To learn more about No Name-Calling Week, visit www.nonamecallingweek.org.