PRNewswise: Hurricane season may be almost over but the mental health storm of repercussions is not. Besides destruction, hurricanes have brought a lot of fear to the people that live in storm prone areas. The shock of a powerful storm targeting and rampaging through your once safe home and neighborhood is unimaginable to most. And when it does hit, it can wipe away everything a family has built over a lifetime, leaving them homeless and sometimes emotionally unstable. Disasters like Hurricane Katrina can be traumatic. Traumatic events not only affect survivors and rescue workers but also their friends and relatives. According to the CDC, fear, grief, anxiety and depression may set in. Physical and behavioral responses can include nausea, dizziness, changes in appetite, disturbed sleep patterns and social withdrawal. Responses to trauma can last for weeks to months before victims start to feel normal again. Most people report feeling better within twelve weeks after a traumatic event. But sometimes the problem can become worse or last longer than one month. If this occurs then the person may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI): Many feel the effect of the change of seasons as early as August or September. They dread the shorter days and coming winter -- they eat more, sleep more and suffer from a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Traditional approaches to treat the disorder include using anti-depressant drugs, light therapy, or a combination. New research indicates that adding cognitive behavior therapy, or "talk therapy," to the mix might be more effective treatment. The symptoms of SAD go way beyond the winter blues and subtle changes in eating and sleeping. It can include cravings for sweets and starches, fatigue, irritability, social withdrawal and depression. These changes disappear in the spring and summer. Shorter days seem to trigger symptoms. There is some evidence that light intensity and temperature also may play a role, said Kelly Rohan, an assistant professor of psychology who studies SAD at the University of Vermont. In the winter, the production of melatonin may increase. The lack of sunlight is thought to decrease the amount of serotonin. The depression that comes with SAD can vary. The percentage of people with SAD increases with increasing latitude. Rohan's research involves cognitive behavioral therapy. She wondered if the therapy could be an effective means to treat SAD. Behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which therapists work with patients to overcome problems by changing their thinking, behavior and emotional responses. In her study, Rohan randomly assigned 61 SAD patients to four groups for six weeks of treatment: daily light therapy; 12 sessions of behavioral therapy; a combination of both treatments; or wait-list control group. All groups -- even the control group, which received treatment after waiting six weeks -- showed comparable improvement in their depression and SAD symptoms after six weeks of treatment. Of the patients treated with light and talk therapy, 80 percent were no longer depressed and of the patients treated with light therapy alone, 53 percent were no longer depressed.

Show Notes: A new study sheds light on weight-loss and counseling. In Portland, ME, they're celebrating National Family Week with an emphasis on diversity. Plus, Ireland provides a new training pack for distribution to higher education colleges. Also, SAMHSA releases a report this week concerning school mental health. And, use of antidepressant drugs rose while the use of psychotherapy/counseling declined...what does this mean? Stick around. Plus, this week's Bookmark of the Week!

BBC News (UK): Swimming with dolphins appears to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, researchers have found. A University of Leicester team tested the effect of regular swimming sessions with dolphins on 15 depressed people in a study carried out in Honduras. They found that symptoms improved more among this group than among another 15 who swam in the same area - but did not interact with dolphins. The study is published in the British Medical Journal. All the volunteers who took part in the trial stopped taking antidepressant drugs or undergoing psychotherapy at least four weeks beforehand. Half the volunteers swam and snorkeled around dolphins for one hour a day over a two-week period. The others took part in the same activities, but without dolphins around. Two weeks later, both groups showed improved mental health, but especially so among patients who had been swimming with the dolphins. The researchers say dolphins' aesthetic value, and the emotions raised by the interaction may have healing properties. Some have speculated that the ultrasound emitted by dolphins as part of their echolocation system may have a beneficial effect. The Leicester team believe that using animals in this way could be a productive way to treat depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

Thunder Bay’s Source (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada): Front line mental health workers, patients and advocacy groups identified some major problems in the region's mental health care system at a round table discussion. Organized by the Ontario Health Coalition, the session is one of many being held across the region to identify some of the major obstacles to service delivery. Testimonials piled up as workers, patients and family members discussed the crisis facing mental health care patients in Northwestern Ontario. According to one long-time employee, the impending closure of the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital is one of the key issues. Other concerns voiced at the session included a scarcity of affordable housing, criminalization issues and lack of treatment options. Information from the regional sessions is to be compiled and released in a public report which will be forwarded to the government.

I'd like to take time to thank all of my listeners. Without you, there would be no G News Central Podcast. When I started this podcast a few short months ago, my goal wasn't to have a HUGH audience. My goal was to have people who were interested in hearing about the latest mental health-related stories that typically aren't covered by the 10 O'clock news. And with all of the demands on our time, let's face it....we don't always have time to read our trade publications. That's where G News Central Podcast fits in...you get one headline story a day, and a weekly wrap-up on the weekend (in under 20 minutes). So, again, thank you for sticking around and giving G News Central Podcast a listen. It may not be the evening news, and the audio quality may not be "the tops" like other podcasts, but I'll always put 100% into finding stories worth hearing. Happy Thanksgiving!

Exeter News (Exeter, NH): The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering Therapy Dog Training for owners, professionals and anyone interested in using their dog in therapeutic visits to nursing homes, schools, hospitals or any healthcare agency that allows therapy animals. The workshop will be held at the SPCA’s Learning Center for Pets and People on Saturday Dec. 10 and Sunday, Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI) is a volunteer group organized to provide qualified handlers and their Therapy Dogs for visitations to institutions, facilities and any other place where Therapy Dogs are needed. The workshop’s presenter, Gina Hays, is the owner and head trainer of Just Dogs Training Center in Dennisport, Mass. The primary objective of the TDI dog and handler is to provide comfort and companionship by sharing the dog with the patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions and wherever else the Therapy Dog is needed. This is done in a way that increases emotional well-being, promotes healing and improves the quality of life for the people being visited and the staff that cares for these people.

Boston Globe (Newington, NH): Many Americans are overweight because losing the extra pounds is so difficult. Unless someone is heavy enough to justify the risk of surgery, obese people have a choice of making lifestyle changes that most eventually abandon, or anti-obesity pills that typically trim only 10 to 15 pounds. But a new study suggests that a combination of intensive counseling and drugs is almost twice as effective as either approach on its own, offering a glimmer of hope in the battle against the second leading cause of preventable death. In the study, led by Thomas Wadden of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 60 obese volunteers lost an average of 27 pounds after a year in which they attended 30 group sessions on the importance of diet and exercise, and took Meridia, one of two weight-loss drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. By comparison, the 55 patients who took Meridia but received no counseling lost just 11 pounds. A third group of 55 who attended group counseling sessions alone lost an average of 15 pounds. The top weight losers in the study wrote down what they ate, which seemed to reduce their overall consumption.

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): County health officials must now decide whether to kick mental health patients out of Marin General Hospital's psychiatric unit after three days or foot the extra cost for additional hospitalization. An alliance of 34 counties, including Marin, have been responsible for providing health-care services to indigent adults since 1983, when California law transferred that responsibility from the state to counties. This association, the County Medical Services Program, has decided to limit mental health hospital stays to 72 hours per episode and 10 days per fiscal year. The change took effect Oct. 1. Currently, the average length of stay at Marin General's 17-bed psychiatric unit is six days, said the county's director of community mental health, Bruce Gurganus. A failed suicide attempt is a common reason for hospitalization in the locked facility. "Of course what happens after the three days is the county ends up being the payer of last resort," Gurganus said. "We do believe there will be additional cost, and we're making a mid-year budget adjustment to cover that." Gurganus said he had no estimate yet as to how much the change will cost the county this year.

Show notes: Protecting students is priority #1 in Brevard County School District. And in Indianapolis, anger management training is top priority for conference attendees. Also, the Mississippi House Juvenile Justice Committee meets to discuss better substance abuse and mental health programs. In New Jersey, officials begin to discuss the serious drug-dealing problem in Ashbury Park. Plus, this week's website of the week!

NewsOK (Oklahoma City, OK): Oklahoma was one of only seven states to receive the "Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant," presented recently to Gov. Brad Henry by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will provide the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services with $2.73 million the first year and $14.7 million over five years. Essentially, the project's goal is to transform state mental health-service delivery systems from systems dictated by outmoded bureaucratic and financial incentives, to systems driven by consumer and family needs that focus on building resilience and facilitating recovery. States that received the awards will serve as platforms for developing strategies that work in transforming mental health and related systems.

KPVI-TV (Pocatello, ID): Local courts are beginning to deal with the problems and needs of criminal defendants who are diagnosed with mental illness. District Judge Ronald Bush says the new mental health court will take people with mental illnesses and keep them out of the normal dockets. That way, participants will be given the chance for proper treatment instead of ending up in local jails and hospitals. Judge Ronald Bush, Sixth Judicial District: "We will have fewer crimes committed by folks that fall into this category. That, in turn, will lead fewer days in the county jail or state penitentiary system. In addition, we hope it will reduce the number of hospitalizations locally."

Forbes (USA): Even as concerns about teen suicide and antidepressant use surfaced during the last decade, prescriptions for the mood-altering drugs increased dramatically as therapy sessions declined, new research shows. And, while guidelines call for initially treating childhood depression with psychotherapy -- and medication plus psychotherapy only in the most serious cases -- many teens received only medication, including drugs not approved for use by children, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers said. Although only Prozac was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with children, the majority of antidepressant prescriptions issued in the years covered by the study -- 1995 through 2002 -- were for newer, non-approved medications. Up until two years before the FDA mandated black-box warnings on antidepressants warning of potential dangers to kids, the research found that: (1) Doctor visits for pediatric depression more than doubled from 1995 to 2002. In 1995, there were 1.44 million visits for depression; by 2002, that figure had risen to 3.22 million and (2) At the same time, the number of visits in which antidepressants were prescribed rose from 47 percent in 1995 to 52 percent in 2002. And psychotherapy or mental-health counseling declined from 83 percent to 68 percent.

Press Release (Milwaukee, WI): Astoundingly, suicide is the Number 2 killer of children in Wisconsin. And efforts to prevent youth suicide in the state are receiving a big boost because of a new alliance forged by the Charles E. Kubly Foundation with a national mental health policy magazine, foundation officials announced today. Thousands of Wisconsin school and health care personnel will receive the upcoming youth-themed issue of Advancing Suicide Prevention, a professional publication that goes to 20,000 health policy leaders and influencers across the country. Funding from the Kubly Foundation will expand this core circulation by 5,000 additional professionals throughout the state. These include leaders and "gatekeepers" who can influence youth and policies affecting their well being - guidance counselors, school psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists and other professionals in Wisconsin. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Wisconsin young people - and that makes it a major public health problem in Wisconsin, according to health officials. Between the years 1999-2002, 430 Wisconsin youngsters age 10-24 died by their own hand, making Wisconsin the 16th highest state in the nation in youth suicide.

All Headline News (USA): A proposed bill would bring marriage and family therapists and licensed counselors under Medicare's coverage. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from the American Psychiatric Association, which says it would waste government money by increasing spending for marriage counseling or family troubles without improving care for more serious problems like schizophrenia. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-WY, introduced the proposal, which has become an amendment to legislation designed to cut federal spending by $36 billion over 10 years. Thomas promoted his plan in a press release that noted one-fifth of all rural counties have no mental health service of any kind. He said the health care professionals he wants to add to Medicare's list of providers are often the only mental health professionals available. Leibfried says many states prohibit professionals with a Masters'-level education from diagnosing and treating serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Thus, when brought into Medicare, they would primarily bill for services they are allowed to diagnose, such as marriage counseling or family breakdowns, he adds. "That's a worthwhile thing," Liebfried says. "But if you're going to fix something first, let's make sure we're opening access to people with more serious conditions."

Journal of the American Medical Association (Chicago, IL): Prevalence estimates of ADHD in school-aged children have ranged from 2% to 18% in community samples. Although stimulant medications are an effective first-line treatment for ADHD, concern persists regarding the possible side effects and long-term health outcomes associated with stimulant consumption. Estimating the number of children who have had ADHD diagnosed and are currently taking medication for the disorder is an important step toward understanding the overall burden of ADHD in the United States. Previously, population-based estimates of medication treatment for ADHD were not available or were limited by their lack of generalizability. To estimate rates of parent-reported ADHD diagnosis and medication treatment for ADHD, CDC analyzed data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). In 2003, approximately 4.4 million children aged 4-17 years were reported to have a history of ADHD diagnosis; of these, 2.5 million (56%) were reported to be taking medication for the disorder. Because both substantial health risks and benefits might be associated with medication treatment for ADHD, further study of this population of children with ADHD is needed.

Show Notes: In New York, two York High teens are arrested at their school's dance. And in Pennsylvania, women dealing with PTSD have a place to go. Also, Mississippi is trying to piece together a budget to address the mental health needs of victims of Katrina. Plus, the Gold Star School Counseling Awards are announced in Indiana. Finally, in San Francisco, a hacker defaces a local high school's website. Plus, this week's featured website of the week.

Town Times (Middlefield, CT): On Thursday, Nov. 17, millions of smokers will take part in the American Cancer Society’s 29th annual Great American Smokeout. For nearly three decades, the Society has designated the third Thursday of each November as a day for smokers nationwide to unite and kick the deadly habit of smoking. More than 45 million Americans are addicted to tobacco; roughly one in four adults and one in five teenagers in the United States are current smokers. Unless efforts to help them beat their addiction are substantially increased, 10 to 20 million current smokers will die from tobacco-related diseases. Quitting isn’t easy. Tobacco dependence is comparable in severity to dependence caused by opiates, such as heroin, amphetamines and cocaine. Fortunately, smokers now have a variety of medications and treatments they can use to help them stop smoking. Smokers can also combine their use of medication by seeking counseling from their physician, pharmacist or a telephone quitline — clinically proven, free, telephone-based counseling. For a quitline near you call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Yale Daily News (New Haven, CT): First-year college life can present difficulties to any freshman on campus, but last year the leaders of Yale's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cooperative saw an especially vexing problem: freshmen who were coming out for the first time did not know where to turn. "I just remember that there was nothing available to me when I came here freshman year," said one gay senior, who asked to remain anonymous. Ari Davalos '07 set out to solve that problem. With the help of her friends and with the support of Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Betty Trachtenberg, Davalos this fall established Queer Peers, a student-run peer-counseling group offered as an extension of the LGBT Co-op. The Queer Peers include eight Yale undergraduates who are trained to give guidance and support to any students questioning their sexual identity. With the program still in its nascent stages, Queer Peers members said they regularly speak with two to three students a night who are either in search of advice while coming out or are already out and searching for understanding listeners. Queer Peers offers counseling four days a week.

Wheeling News Register (Wheeling, WV): Voters in Belmont County voted in favor of a countywide issue Tuesday related to mental health services. In an unofficial count, 11,628 people voted in favor of the Belmont County Mental Health Recovery Board renewal $ 1.5 million levy for Mental Health & Addiction Services, while 7,517 people voted against it. The measure will last for 10 years and begin next year. Funds from this renewal levy are expected to help pay for mental health and addiction services for those who cannot afford it on their own. Linda Pickenpaugh, director of the county Mental Health and Recovery Board, said Tuesday night the renewal of the levy will provide $950,000 a year, which accounts for 10 percent of the service budget. "Even though it was a renewal, we couldn't take a chance in this environment. ... It isn't new money, but it will help us maintain service at the current level."

PRNewswire (Santa Ana, CA): PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH) and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care will host more than 300 New England behavioral health practitioners to present a compelling care management model that uses scientifically-established tools and methods to quantify the clinical results of psychotherapy. The conference, Improving Behavioral Health Care Using Outcomes Measurement, will be conducted on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at the Hilton Dedham from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. “This conference is a call to all mental health practitioners to consider adopting a scientifically-validated yardstick to objectively measure clinical results and to use that data to inform treatment,� said Richard Weisblatt, Ph.D., vice president of network services for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. “Today's medical community is increasingly aligned with evidence-based care and this conference is intended to support a similar movement within the behavioral health community.�

Billings Gazette (Cheyenne, MT): Local church leaders think they've come up with a way to reduce the state's divorce rate: Put an end to quickie marriages. Clergy came together Friday to endorse a policy that would require couples undergo four months of marriage preparation before being married in participating churches. "Couple by couple, community by community, congregation by congregation, a difference will be made," said Harriet McManus, co-chairwoman of the nonprofit group Marriage Savers. Gov. Dave Freudenthal praised the project, which is being funded in part by more than $200,000 in grants from the Wyoming Department of Family Services and the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The program will include counseling sessions and assign successfully married couples to mentor engaged couples. "I am firmly convinced that the government can only do so much," Freudenthal said. "What I like about what you're doing is you actually try to make sure people are fully informed." Organizers said Wyoming has one of the nation's highest divorce rates. The Rev. Kurt Borgaard, of First Christian Church, said organizers hoped that by reducing divorce rates, they would also address a number of other social ills. "When divorce rates go up, so do all the negative statistics," Borgaard said.

Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, IL): Helen Cordell, a Yorkville resident, is president of the Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club of Yorkville, a group that keeps a visiting schedule for its 35 dog members and their handlers. The dogs that participate in pet therapy must go through a year of training and certification far beyond a typical obedience school. "We drop pans like the dropping of trays and equipment in hospitals," Cordell said. "A dog has to be able to be touched by a stranger. You can put your hands on their teeth and they won't show fear." Therapy dogs' training also involves interacting with walkers and wheelchairs and being able to ignore food when it is within easy reach. Before a potential therapy dog can make visits, it must pass a certification test administered by either Therapy Dogs International or Delta Society. During the test, the dog must respond to strangers, distractions, other dogs, people with audible or visible illnesses, and obedience commands.

Show notes: Truancy is the issue in Benton, IL. And in Winona, MN, an elementary school counselor speaks her mind. Also, James Madison Middle School in Burlington, IA hosts a 2-hour controversial forum that has people up in arms. Plus, this week's featured Bookmark of the Week. And our first podcast promo from another podcaster!

MedIndia (India): Researcher Dr. Wan Lian Chua, Psychiatrist, Bradford District Care Trust had said that estrogen therapy to women with schizophrenia had not given any effective improvement in their condition. The researchers compiled data from various reviews pertaining the use of estrogen therapy for treatment of schizophrenia. Researchers conclude that the use of estrogen therapy cannot be used in treating patients before it is tested in large clinical trials as most of the study has been done in a small population of people with psychotic symptoms. The results of the study were published in The Cochrane Library. It is found that women suffering from schizophrenia seemed more vulnerable to psychotic symptoms during life phases associated with dips in estrogen levels during the period after childbirth and during menopause. Moreover, use of estrogens are linked to increased side effects such as risk of heart attack, stroke or ovarian and breast cancer. For treatment, a new class of effective drugs are to be discovered like the use of Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERM?s) has to be evaluated as these drugs has to be modulated in such a way that it stimulates estrogen receptors only in the required parts of the body and should not act on other estrogen receptors in uterus and breast.

The Acorn (Agoura Hilla, CA): The Las Virgenes and Oak Park unified school districts stand opposed to Proposition 76, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The California Live Within Our Means Act.� But supporters of the proposition, such as the Thousand Oaks Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce, feel Prop. 76 is needed to help balance the state’s debt-laden budget. Las Virgenes Superintendent Sandra Smyser said the proposition could “significantly jeopardize� available state funding for public schools. The proposition would dismantle the funding guarantees of Proposition 98 passed by voters in 1988, Smyser said. “Elimination of these guarantees would fundamentally change how schools operate and the services provided to students and our community,� Smyser said. Tony Knight, superintendent of Oak Park Unified School District, said Oak Park schools rely heavily on Prop. 98 money and would be forced to cut many programs, such as music, counseling and school athletics if Prop. 76 passes. “I recognize we have a budget problem in California, but as I’ve said for many years, I don’t think we should be balancing the state budget on the backs of California’s school children,� Knight said. If the governor’s act is passed, the state would have the power to cut funds to schools in the middle of the school year on an ongoing basis.

Medical News Today (UK): A number of studies have shown that self-help treatment programs on stand-alone computers are as effective as routine clinical care. The Internet enhances the therapeutic possibilities of computers by offering feedback of therapists and more tailor-made treatment. A number of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have shown that Internet-based treatment is more effective than no-treatment and as effective as face-to-face treatment. Research so far has been limited to anxiety disorders, burn-out, depression, headache, insomnia, tinnitus and obesity. Further, exposure through virtual reality has been found effective in a number of RCTs in specific phobias, but results with respect to the effects of the use of virtual reality techniques to other disorders are inconclusive. It is concluded that computer-driven assessment and treatment has many advantages and few disadvantages.

Daily Mail (UK): Head straightening on the internet can be as effective as the psychotherapist's couch, it is claimed. Researchers tested a do-it-yourself program of cognitive behavioral therapy delivered via the internet. They found that it was as good at helping people with depression as face-to-face sessions with a "real" therapist. It was also more effective than web-based group therapy on its own. Researchers carrying out the study recommended that internet-based therapy "should be pursued further as a complement or treatment alternative for mild-to-moderate depression". Cognitive therapy attempts to alter negative or destructive habits by changing the way people think. In the study, 117 volunteers with mild to moderate depression participated either in a web-based self-help cognitive behavioral therapy program, or an internet discussion group. The cognitive therapy also included activity in a discussion group, and minimal contact with a therapist to monitor progress and compliance. A total of 37% of patients withdrew from the program, chiefly because it was "too demanding". All those who did take part had their condition monitored for six months. The DIY therapy program consisted of 89 pages of text divided into five modules. These included exercises aimed at "cognitive restructuring", improving sleep and physical health, preventing relapse and setting future goals.

WWAY Channel 3 (Raleigh, NC): Lawmakers were envisioning a change for the better when they dramatically overhauled the state's mental health system in 2001. Those changes haven't occurred as expected, and legislators are getting frustrated. The 2001 plan calls for the number of beds at traditional state mental hospitals to drop by nearly half to 938 by mid-2007, with patients shifted to local treatment programs. That process involves closing two state psychiatric hospitals and replacing them with one hospital. With the goal on the horizon, efforts to reduce the number of patients in the state psychiatric hospitals have been interrupted. The changes have been slowed by an unforeseen spike in hospital admissions, which experts believe is fueled by a poor economy, a growing population and new challenges from drugs such as methamphetamine. Also, local programs that oversee community coverage are facing potential spending cuts.

Naples Daily News (Naples, FL): Annette Husson, the third-, fourth-and fifth-graders' guidance counselor at Laurel Oak Elementary School conducted a survey last year, and found that among students in grades three through five, the most common form of bullying is verbal abuse which includes teasing or name calling. Other bullying included physical and emotional. Collier County schools's zero-tolerance policy doesn't condone bullying behavior. A survey released earlier this month by the National Crime Prevention Council showed more than half of students witness bullying at least once a week and six out of 10 know another student who could hurt someone. The survey also found that the Internet is becoming the new bullying battleground for children using e-mail, instant messaging and blogs. One out of three students ages 8 to 18 knows at least one person who has been cyber-bullied, according to a press release from the National Crime Prevention Council. Husson said e-mail bullying hasn't been an issue, but there have been incidents of three-way calling in the past when two kids, mostly girls, talk about the third girl listening in on the conversation. According to the 2003 School Crime and Safety report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 800,000 students don't go to school each week because they're afraid of being bullied.