Links, Page 22

"Bullies to Buddies" (Israel C. Kalman, M.S.)

I’m currently reading for a new literary review which I hope to have posted this weekend, or at least later next week. As I once explained, sometimes I must abort contemplated reviews due to various reasons and start anew. So here is something to tide readers over regarding school bullying.

Israel (Izzy) C. Kalman holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology. He’s also a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who has worked in the education field in both New York and Israel. Drawing upon his experiences, he has developed an anti-bullying program called “Bullies to Buddies” which is most controversial and its philosophy is disdained by many active in the anti-bullying cause for what they discern as his “blaming the victim” attitude and purported solutions to school bullying.

On his website, Mr. Kalman offers several articles concerning the subject of school bullying as well as other materials, including multi-part manuals for both kids and adults which explain his philosophy and how to implement it to cease bullying. These manuals, as well as other materials on his website, are offered free and may be reproduced—as long as they are credited. Mr. Kalman also speaks at schools, though a fee for such personal services may be charged.

What is so controversial about Mr. Kalman’s approach to bullying that so infuriates many within the anti-bullying cause—similar to the reaction to the Duke University behavioral therapy (see my article under “TS/ADHD") within the Tourette’s “community”? In a nutshell, Mr. Kalman’s philosophy boils down to the age’s old adage: “If you don’t let them know it bothers you, then they’ll stop.” That’s about it, though Mr. Kalman takes the philosophy one step further and claims to instruct school victims of teasing and bullying how to learn to really not let it bother them in fact.

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