Anti-Bullying Forum Brings Obama Administration, Radio Personalities to Quince Orchard

First Lady Katie O'Malley is on a mission to stop bullying in Maryland. On Monday night, she brings that message to .

At 7 p.m., Quince Orchard hosts the Maryland Stands Up Against Bullying forum, in collaboration with WPGC FM and CBS Radio. In a live panel discussion, President Obama's Special Assistant for Education Roberto Rodriguez, Dr. Jeri Dyson from the National Institutes of Health and on-air personalities from WPGC, including Sunni, will talk about ways to combat bullying in schools and online.

First lady Michelle Obama is not able to attend the forum at Quince Orchard due to a family situation, but she did speak at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore on Monday morning to kick off Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Maryland.

"When it comes to bullying, everyone is a victim – our children, our schools and our communities. It is so important to bring attention to this issue to keep our children safe and our families aware," she said. "Together, with the Maryland State Department of Education and our private and public partners, we are encouraging parents, teachers, students, friends and family to educate themselves and speak out against bullying."

Mrs. Obama also recorded a video for the It Gets Better campaign, which is intended to give hope to LGBT youth.

"We in the state of Maryland, and the United States and the whole world, need to do a better job of protecting you against those bullies. And I vow to do that as first lady; to try to make sure that bullying ends in any situation, but especially in situations that are so, so sensitive," she said in the video.

During the 2009-2010 school year, a total of 3,318 incidents of bullying were reported in Maryland schools. That was 1,000 more reported incidents than the year before, according to the first lady's spokesperson, Takirra Winfield.

This is the second year Mrs. Obama has partnered with the Maryland State Department of Education for the Bullying Awarness and Prevention Week.

The forum will be broadcast live on 95.5 FM at 7 p.m. on Monday.