Rutgers University to Be the Site of Anderson Cooper 360 Forum on Bullying

Rutgers University will host an Anderson Cooper 360° Town Hall special on Bullying The program will air at 8 p.m. Oct. 9 on CNN.

The Tyler Clementi tragedy deeply touched the Rutgers community and brought the issues of cyber-bullying and the suicide of gay youth to the attention of the world.

On this first anniversary of his death – and because October is Bullying Prevention Month – the producers of Anderson Cooper 360° approached the university about serving as the venue for a town hall-style meeting on the topic of bullying.

“Rutgers boasts a rich diversity in our campus community,” said President Richard L. McCormick, “and we strive to promote the free exchange of ideas in an atmosphere of civility, inclusion and mutual respect. The university is gratified that CNN recognized this and invited us to host this important event that is part of a wide-ranging national campaign to combat bullying.”

Members of the Rutgers community will be invited to participate in the town hall.

During the program, Cooper, who has covered numerous stories about bullying, will provide new insights about why young people bully each other. He will speak with students, families, experts in the field and other special guests to determine if education and legislation as well as the media attention over the last year have helped the bullying prevention efforts on school campuses, in social media communities or in local neighborhoods.

The Rutgers faculty includes some of the nation’s foremost experts on issues facing young men and women in this country, including bullying and the challenges facing gay teens.

Professors from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education and the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology have testified before Congress about the need for targeted research into the role school climate plays in bullying behavior.

The Rutgers Center for Applied Psychology, part of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology – with support by a grant from a private foundation – has developed the Bullying Prevention Institute, a new initiative created in response to the increasing need for effective and comprehensive planning to prevent, detect and intervene in incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying in New Jersey school districts.

In addition, the Center for Applied Psychology, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education, has established the Inclusive Schools Climate Initiative. A group of 10 middle schools are participating in the program that seeks to create a climate that provides opportunities for growth and development for all students and improves engagement and social participation of students with disabilities.

Faculty at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information are conducting research and offering courses in the areas of social media, mobile technologies, changing standards of privacy and disclosure among young people, as well as depictions of gender, race and class in the media.

Rutgers has a long and rich history of supporting LGBT students on campus, dating back to the founding of the Homophile League at Rutgers in 1969.

Rutgers has encouraged greater discussion and implementation of living/learning environments in which LGBT students can feel more accepted. The university is piloting three new housing initiatives for members of the Rutgers community:

• A gender-neutral housing option in three residence halls, which provides students the opportunity to select a known roommate of any gender
• A special interest section, Rainbow Perspectives, available to all class years, for students interested in exploring LGBT issues outside of the classroom
• A roommate matching option for first-year and transfer students who are interested in being paired with a member of the LGBT campus community.

A number of events have also been planned for the Rutgers campus community in the coming weeks. They include:

• “Resilience & Strength: A Conversation about Suicide, Healing and Beyond,” on Sept. 22

• “Coming “Out” as an Ally: Standing with the LGBTQ Community,” on Sept. 29

• “OUTwardly Fabulous: A One Woman Show About Bullying and Homophobia,” on Oct. 25.

On Nov. 14, Rutgers will convene a symposium that will take a scholarly look at adolescents’ and young adults’ use and misuse of social media and their implications.

- Rutgers University