Royalty takes on Bullies

Everyday we hear about A- listers and celebrities addressing various social issues and speaking on behalf of charities and organizations.  But just recently, royalty itself has taken notice of the current issue of cyber-bullying.  Princess Mary of Denmark discussed the matter, as she wrapped up Victorian tour alongside her husband, Prince Frederik.

ABC Melbourne reported that Princess Mary and Prince Frederik attended a luncheon for Princess’ charity The Alannah and Madeline Foundation in Australia on Sunday. The Princess, which is an international patron of the foundation, according to the ABC Melbourne article, focused on the issue of childhood bullying.

 Other high profilers, such as Prime Minister Julia Gillard were on the attendance list. Princess Mary told those invited that efforts to counter the problem needed to spread their reach.

“Schools are just the start. The programs need to go beyond the schoolyard and into the wider community to help disadvantaged children,” Princess Mary said during the event.

She then went on to stress the importance of reaching out to children, voicing that child welfare is a basic human right.

 “Not only in the real world, but also in cyberspace. This is one of the most important responsibilities that we in society can undertake,” she said.  “The importance of providing them with the basic human right of having a safe and happy childhood, and that cannot be underestimated.”

While the royalty lightly touches on the subject of cyber- bullying, I believe it is a giant leap for other countries.  

While America is captivated by celebrities and high- profile socialites, many countries respond best to its’ own royalty.  Although, Mary is Princess of Denmark, she is Australian- born, thus increasing her interest to Australian natives. In order to address the issue on a worldwide scale, we need to continue in the right direction and draw attention to cyber- bullying.  Next up on the list is Kate Middleton and Prince William!  In efforts to stop cyber- bullying and hatred in general, we need to get the world’s most famous couple on board!  It’s only a matter of time before the Prince and his bride also take on the bullying battle.  Hopefully, this event only further sparks the fight against bullying!

Don’t Be a Bully, Stop Them

No one likes bullies, so why be one? There’s a time for standing back and there’s a time for acting up and now is the time to do something. Together we can all help to get rid of cyber- bullying and cease bully suicides. The answer? Educate yourselves, be aware and take action. Be the help to the problem, not the cause.

The Cyber- Bullying Research Center reported that cyber- bullying has affected over half the teens of all races with girls as more likely to be targeted than boys. So where do we start? First, educate one another on the signs of cyber- bullying. Explain how to set up privacy settings on social networks like blocking non- friends from messaging you on sites, such as FaceBook.  A September 2009 AP-MTV survey published on Pure Sight, stated that 45% of young people report that they see people being mean to each other on social networking sites. Guide your children through the steps of identifying a cyber- bully and their attacks. For more information on identifying a cyber- bully, visit http://blog.stopsign.com/how-to-identify-and-prevent-cyberbullying/. Next, help them to understand the consequences behind cyber- bullying and the reasonings to refuse to participate.

Maintaining communication with your children and peers is vital in preventing cyber- bullying among teens. Victims need to feel heard, not ignored, so keep an open relationship with them. Stress communication about any issues that arise, to help them feel less embarrassed or pressured to tell someone if they are being victimized.

After securing those measures, address cyber- bullying in schools. Find out your school’s consequences on cyber- bullying and what steps need to be taken to prevent bullying. Schools across the country have programs for teens who have or are being bullied and need someone to talk to. Addressing cyber- bullying in schools will also help prevent teens to realize the zero tolerance of cyber- bullying in schools.

Finally, be prepared for anything. With all the right precautions and help, we can decrease bullying and help those victimized. Education is the solution. The more people that care, the more action taken and the more people realize cyber- bullying is not cool. So spread the word and be a friend, not a bully.

Journey to Love

Adoption can be a tedious process full of hold- ups and complications, but a family’s determination can be far greater. That can be said true about the Halvorson family.

Glen and Kristen Halvorson have seven biological children and four adopted.  Their journey to love started in 2006 when Kristen felt God telling her to adopt.  So after much persuasion, they started the process of their first adoption. 

“The main reason was God, my dad didn’t want to do it at all for awhile. It basically took a brick from Heaven to get him to do it,” said Tj Halvorson, son of Glen and Kristen.

However, the family ran into problems when the U.S. required them to foster prior to adopting. According to Jeff Katz, founder of the Listening to Parents project, only 36 out of every 1,000 parents are able to adopt in the U.S. After a hassle with the red tape, they turned their search to overseas.  In 2008, they adopted their daughter Blanca from Guatemala.  The process for Guatemala was strenuous, due to the strict government. Recent laws enacted to help prevent child- trafficking created several roadblocks.  As a result, Blanca was one of the last kids to get adopted.  As their family grew, so did their love and determination to continue adopting. 

After countless hours researching different countries’ requirements, they decided on Ethiopia.  The family struck gold. They began the process in early 2009 and Ben, Asher, and Grace were home by Christmas. God had answered their prayers and sped up the process for their family’s final additions. 

However, everything comes with a price and Ethiopia was no exception. Adoption. com reported that international agency fees can begin around $7,500 to $30,000 per child.

“It was very expensive, we had to pay to fly my mom, older brother and I out there, as well as the kids on the way back. Passports, visas, hotels, food, and other expenses added up quickly,” said Tj.

  After meeting the children for first time, nothing else mattered. God had answered their prayers and blessed them throughout their journey of love.  The family was completed when it grew to 11 people with Blanca, Ben, Grace, and Asher.  They now live happily in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Tj, Tim and Kristen Halvorson visit the boys’ biological parents, before departing Ethiopia.

left to right: Tj, Grace, Tim, Asher and Ben.

left to right: Tim, Tj, and Asher.

left to right: Asher, Dustin, Ben, Blanca, Taylor, Kristen, Grace, and Tj

Asher and Ben Halvorson.

left to right: Grace, Kristen, Asher, Tim and Tj.

International Adoption: Trend or Helping the World?

Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Meg Ryan, Ewan McGregor and Katherine Heigl have publicly adopted children from various countries within the last few years. With international adoption rates quickly increasing, one begins to wonder if celebrities are starting a trend. Do people want to adopt from Africa or China to be like their favorite actress or just a new wave in easier adoption? One question floating through my mind is: What about the children in the U.S.? This is not to devalue overseas adoption, but rather to remind others about domestic adoption. So what makes international more alluring and what are the benefits?

In the U.S. couples may apply for adoption, granted they meet certain requirements, however the decision may remain pending for up to four years. Think about it this way, why do people adopt? Is it not the eagerness to start or expand the family? Whatever reason, people are programmed to want instant gratification, which means waiting years to begin the process is not ideal. It can be a long, bumpy rollercoaster resulting from our country’s red tape, which makes it difficult to adopt. In numerous domestic adoptions, couples are faced with the fear of biological parents changing their mind or the worry of competition. By competition, I mean that the parents may keep in contact with the child, making it difficult for the child and the adoptive parents to bond. Some hopefuls are even asked to provide various living and medical expenses for the expectant mother, increasing the already expensive cost. However, many view foreign adoptions as “no strings attached” or better guarantee of being granted a child. While factors such as fees, children availability, medical and social history and legal concerns are common with both domestic and foreign, adopting overseas does present itself as the “easy button” rather than taking a number and waiting forever to be called.

For more information you can visit:

http://www.childadoptionfunds.org/foreign-adoption-charitable-or-cheap.asp

http://www.americanadoptions.com/adopt/domestic_international