Cruel's Not Cool: How to Teach Kids to Be Kind

“My friend posted really nasty things about me on her site.”

“I'm afraid I'm going to get beaten up.”

“I don't know why they hate me.”

“My daughter's best friends are being mean to her.”

These are just some of the issues Annie Fox, one of our School Bullying Prevention Difference Makers, hears about—and offers solutions for. Through her Cruel’s Not Cool! campaign, Annie engages students, teachers, administrators, and parents in an examination of why cruel’s not cool, and what each of us can do to make our schools safer, more accepting places for all students.

Central to Annie's message is this: Students can't control what others do, say, think, or feel. But they can learn to make good choices regarding their own behavior. “No matter what's going on,” she says, “you always have choices.”

Annie's book, The Girls' Q&A Book on Friendship, answers 50 questions from real girls about the challenges they face, such as “Why are people so mean to each other?” and “Are they really 'just kidding'?” Check out this podcast to learn about teaching kids to be kind:

Over on her website, Annie answers questions from teens and tweens about parents, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, bullying, and pretty much any topic. She's got answers for parents' questions too. She also hosts a Facebook page where kids, parents, and educators can talk about bullying and share their experiences and any solutions they’ve found that really help.

Annie also offers Cruel's Not Cool! events, including assemblies for kids, workshops for parents, and trainings for teachers, giving everyone tools so students can enjoy healthy relationships during their school years and throughout their lives.