Marian Ryan Leads Anti-Bullying Session for Wilmington Parents

When the parents who attended session at were in school themselves, there was no Facebook, no Twitter, and no cell phones. Times have changed, and officials say it’s now time for parents to change how they help keep their children safe.

“Bullying is worse than what we experienced on the playground growing up,” said Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton. “I can’t say we’re any different from any other community in the state, but we do care and want to do anything we can to creative a safe environment in our public schools.”

Marian Ryan, Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office general counsel, spoke to parents for about an hour about the legal ramifications of bullying. She also spoke to parents about taking responsibility for stopping underage drinking among other topics.

Wilmington has taken a strong stand against bullying in recent years. Ryan also spoke to teachers on the first day of teacher orientation in the fall, and the school’s bullying plan was recently approved by the state. About one-third of bullying plans failed and one-third were missing pieces.

Also speaking to the crowd of parents was Margie Daniels, executive director of the Middlesex Partnerships for Youth.

“We learn something from parents every time we come out,” said Daniels. “People speak from a place of pain. For every question that a parent asks, there are probably five other parents in the audience who were wondering the same thing.”

Ryan suggested that parents make sure their child’s computer is in a common room rather than the bedroom. She also told stories of cases she has prosecuted involving bullying and underage drinking, urging parents not to let youths consume alcohol in their house under any circumstances.

Some parents expressed concerned about Facebook bullying, a recent trend among students.

“I’m not saying Facebook is a bad tool,” said Benton. “Right now, it is not being used properly. We have students who are being placed in terrible situations because of it.”

Daniels stressed the value District Attorney Gerry Leone places on prevention, not intervention when it comes to bullying.

“We’re all growing in this together,” said Daniels. “It’s been a problem for many years, and we’re not going to cure it overnight.”