Mar

31

Phoebe Prince

Filed Under Random, Safety & Self-Defense | 4 Comments

I’ve been tracking the story of Phoebe Prince in the news, and am beyond saddened of her suicide.  She was the focal point of brutal bullying and manipulation, and took her own life in response.  Likely believing there was no other way out, her death was also her solution.

We owe our children better strategies to help them cope.

Don’t believe for a moment that Phoebe was the only girl in this country being ostracized and socially tortured. Countless young people endure this every day.  The difference is, most kids don’t kill themselves. Which brings me to the question…

Why do people have to die before we respond to situations like these?

I’m encouraged by the 41 states that passed legislation addressing the problem of bullying in America.  According to Stop Bullying Now, as of 2009 the 9 states listed below have not.  Shame on them:

Alabama
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Wisconsin

Whether you’re an adult, a parent, a child or a teen – there are effective strategies to tackle this issue. If you’re a concerned adult, get educated. E-mail your state representative.   Click here to learn more ideas of what adults can do.

If you are being bullied, please don’t take the same path as Phoebe.  You are not alone. And there are people who will help you. Click here to learn what kids can do.

Mar

26

Watch HubSpot TV today!

Filed Under Random | Leave a Comment

Wow, I have so much to update you all on from my crazy travels and inspiring speaking engagements throughout March. I’m actually making a pretty little slideshow with all my photos from the cool things I saw and the amazing people I met this month. Stay tuned!

If you’d like to see me LIVE from Cambridge TODAY on HubSpot TV, please click the link below at 4pm EST.  I’ll be talking about Girls Fight Back, and how we have leveraged social media and our website/blog to reach people with our message that women are worth fighting for!

http://hubspot.tv

If you’re on Twitter, feel free to interact with us live by using the hashtag #hubspotTV. And in case you aren’t following me and GFB already on Twitter, my handle is @erinweed and GFB’s is @girlsfightback. Let’s get this safety and self-defense crusade more widely supported by embracing the digital teddy bear, shall we?

Mar

10

Madison Area Technical College

Filed Under Random | 1 Comment

Yesterday I spoke in beautiful Madison, WI to a room full of students and campus police. It was a lunchtime event, and let me tell you – nothing goes better with a sandwich than a good ol’ can o’ whoop-ass. And whoop we did.  My scary bad guy, Evan, was a gentle soul who didn’t quite know the “right way” to mock attack me on stage. Fear not, Evan…I actually find it quite refreshing when men aren’t skilled at the predatory take-down. Big thanks to Cherry and the entire PAC for organizing and publicizing the event for so many weeks!