When I tell people I work to stop hazing in high schools I am almost always met with shocked expressions. "High school? Really? I thought that was something that only arrogant frat guys do in college." But it's true - as long as I have worked on preventing bullying in high schools, I have worked to prevent hazing.

THE POWER OF THE GROUP We all want to feel a sense of belonging. This isn’t a character flaw. It’s fundamental to the human experience. Our finest achievements are possible when people come together to work for a common cause. School spirit, the rightful pride we feel in our community, our heritage, our religion, and our families, all come from the value we place on belonging to a group.

Mothers and fathers do really crazy things with the best of intentions.

You can't make someone be your best friend.

Sleeping with your phone in your bedroom is never a good idea, but it's even worse when you're bullied online because it's too tempting to stay up all night trying to "fix" the situation - which isn't possible anyway.

Kids don't like being put into boxes, and your kid can act in different ways in different situations.

I think that giving mindless praise is ridiculous. But I understand why parents do it. They want their kids to feel good about themselves. But parents are never going to teach their children true, positive self esteem by praising everything they do.