New York City School Becoming a National Model for a Compassionate Community

Bullying is widespread and perhaps one of the most underreported safety problems in schools. Studies have indicated that only 30 percent of victims and witnesses tell teachers or other adults about the abuse they endure. Too many children don’t see adults as trusted advocates. In America, as many as 160,000 children a day do not attend school due to fears of being bullied, the US Department of Justice estimates. Recent studies suggest that one out of every three students are bullied in the U.S. as reported on STOPBULLYING.GOV.

One hundred percent of the Central Park East II teachers and Pre-K through seventh grade students participated in monthly empathy-building trainings, as part of the school’s effort to create a safe, bully-free environment. A special banner was awarded to Central Park East II to highlight the school’s commitment to a respectful, violence- and bully-free school. The trainings are led by Jessie Klein, Ph.D., associate professor in sociology and criminal justice at Adelphi University and author of The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America’s Schools (NYU Press, 2013). 

Dr. Klein founded Creating Compassionate Communities at Adelphi in 2015 in collaboration with Adelphi’s Center for Health Innovation (CHI).