Camden County Schools Recognize Bullying Prevention Month

We hope you've noticed over the past year that we've been focusing on bullying and cyberbullying, a confounding national crisis that turns youths' lives upside down with unimaginable angst and dread, sometimes with deadly consequences. With each story, we've heard poignant stories from Patch readers in New Jersey and others who were bullied and overcame it, but also many who continue to struggle with the damage done by bullies to their self-esteem.

Many common threads emerged in emails from our readers: Teachers and other educators have suggested everything from first-period decompression time to classroom contracts with students on how they're expected to treat one another. But for all the readers who said schools need to do more to foster an anti-bullying culture, as many said parents should talk more with their kids about bullying and keep closer track on their social media habits.

And in a loud chorus, they said Americans need to stop wringing their hands and work at all levels to create a world safe from bullying.

That's one of the purposes of National Bullying Prevention Month, observed annually during October to bring attention to the problem and involve people in New Jersey and nationwide in a conversation on how to create a world safe from bullying.

WEEK OF RESPECT
The Haddonfield Public School District is celebrating Week of Respect at each of its schools. Here’s what each school is doing.

Central Elementary School:
Monday 10/1 – Wear blue for World Bullying Prevention Day
Tuesday 10/2 –– Wear your favorite color for Respect Yourself
Wednesday 10/3– Wear your favorite team shirt or colors for Respect your Peers
Thursday 10/4 – Wear Haddonfield colors (black and red) or Central colors (blue and white) for Respect your School Community
Friday 10/5 – W.R.A.P - We Respect All People - Wear, or bring in something that celebrates your cultural heritage.

Haddon Elementary School:
Monday 10/1 – Wear blue for World Bullying Prevention Day
Tuesday 10/2 –– Wear your favorite color for Respect Yourself
Wednesday 10/3– Wear your favorite team shirt or colors for Respect your Peers
Thursday 10/4 – Wear Haddonfield colors (black and red) or Haddon colors (blue and white) for Respect your School Community
Friday 10/5 – Wear green for Respect your Environment

Tatem Elementary School:
Monday 10/1 – Wear blue for World Bullying Prevention Day
Tuesday 10/2 –– Respect yourself - dress to impress & put your best foot forward!
Wednesday 10/3– Celebrate different cultures! Wear something that represents your culture.
Thursday 10/4 – Wear mismatched clothing & mix it up at lunch by sitting with new friends.
Friday 10/5 – Wear Tatem colors (green) or Haddonfield colors (black and red).

Haddonfield Middle School:
Monday 10/1 – Wear blue for World Bullying Prevention Day
Tuesday 10/2 –– Wear your favorite color for Respect Yourself
Wednesday 10/3– Wear your favorite team shirt or colors for Respect your Peers
Thursday 10/4 – Wear Haddonfield colors (black and red) or Haddon colors (blue and white) for Respect your School Community
Friday 10/5 – Wear or Bring in Something that Celebrates Your Cultural Heritage for We Respect All People

Haddonfield Memorial High School:
There will be a jar in the main office for staff and students to write down a random act of kindness they witnessed throughout the day. They will indicate who did the act and there will be a random drawing for a gift certificate at the end of the week. Mrs. Westerside and Mrs. Gaspari will be creating bathroom art to signify respect and acceptance. Progress and pictures will be shared this week and the final project will be completed by the end of the week of respect. Peer Leaders and Student Council will run activities as well.
Monday - wear blue for World Bullying Prevention Day
Tuesday - wear team jersey - respect your peer
Wednesday - wear own clothing - respect yourself
Thursday - wear green - respect the environment
Friday - wear school colors - respect the school community

The Haddon Township Public School District is screening the documentary "Screenagers," for parents and students this week. The goal is to help everyone find a balance when it comes to using social media and technology. Students use iPads given to them by the school district, but part of using them is to know when to stop.

Haddon Township Superintendent Bonnie Edwards also said the district tries to build a stronger connection between students and their school because studies show that a stronger connection to school reduces the amount of incidents, including those of violence, you see in schools.

ANTI-BULLYING EFFORTS LAST ALL YEAR LONG
Bullying goes beyond the Week of Respect. In Camden County, it is a year-round effort to fight bullying.

“The Cherry Hill School District places the safety of its students as its top priority, with an expectation that students are in – and believe that they are in – a safe, welcoming environment every day,” a spokesperson for the school district said. “Our staff and administration are trained in leadership and modeling good character, including listening to the student voice, on a regular basis. Our student voice and character education initiatives provide opportunities for positive interaction and communication on a daily basis – emphasizing empathy, encouragement and positive relationships. These initiatives take a different form in each school. Carusi Middle School, for example, has a student group called ‘Word Ninjas,’ who leave positive messages on post-it notes on students’ lockers as a surprise on various days throughout the year. At our elementary schools, various programs such as 'bucket fillers' and 'kindness heroes' are implemented year-long. At the high school level, multiple initiatives are in place, and the Athlete Against Bullying Club was established at both East and West.

“In terms of staffing, each of our schools has an anti-bullying specialist, and Mrs. LaCoyya Weathington is the District Anti-Bullying Coordinator. Each elementary school has a guidance counselor and some have a social worker and/or a school psychologist on staff. Additionally, each of our middle and schools has a Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) and a school psychologist on staff, in addition to guidance counselors. In some middle schools, a clinical social worker also is on staff. At the high school level, each school has multiple guidance counselors, a SAC and a Student Advocate. You may find the names and contact information for your school's counselor, SAC, psychologist and/or social worker on the school web site under the ‘Contact Us’ link. The district also employs a psychiatrist who serves all of our schools. These professionals all are trained in recognizing and providing support for students who are feeling stressed and/or need mental health supports.”

“We believe deeply that anti-bullying efforts are rooted in positive school culture, where all students are valued and respected daily,” Collingswood Superintendent of Schools Scott Oswald said. “As such, we work year round on anti-bullying efforts by establishing and maintaining rich, positive cultures within our schools.”

A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
Once viewed as a childhood "rite of passage" that toughened kids to handle the pressures of adulthood, bullying and its more insidious digital twin, cyberbullying, is seen by many experts as a major public health issue — on par with heart disease, cancer and diabetes — with devastating and often long-term effects like the loss of self-esteem, heightened anxiety and depression.

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story to tell about bullying or cyberbullying, a suggestion about how to stem it or an event to publicize? Comment at the end of the story, or email anthony.bellano@patch.com and copy bullies@patch.com. You can post Bullying Prevention Month and many other events right on Patch.

Statistics vary, but an aggregate of 80 different studies on bullying suggests one in five American students between 12 and 18 is bullied at some point during their middle or high school years. Traditional bullying — name calling, public humiliation, isolation, physical violence and that sort of thing — occurs most often, with 35 percent of kids reporting they've been targeted in one of those ways. The studies cited by the PACER Center, which established National Bullying Prevention Month, show that 15 percent of kids surveyed report being cyberbullied.

And though it occurs less often, cyberbullying — which has resulted in a disturbing string of suicides by adolescents and teenagers — is especially hard to stop. While experts say most cyberbullied kids don't kill themselves, the long-tailed internet makes a taunt live longer than one flung on the schoolyard. Kids can escape traditional bullying in the safety of their homes, but because social media is so intertwined with how kids communicate, they never really escape it.

READ: Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words

And because cyberbullies have the stealth of anonymity, "empathy tends to fade to zero," NoBully.org founder Nicholas Carlisle told Patch.

He was knocked around 40 or so years ago as an awkward 12-year-old. The torment persisted through high school, but as tough as it was, his experience was markedly different from the torture kids endure today, he says — and it's not just that he was attacked in a physical as opposed to online space.

"Online, you can't see the whites of their eyes," Carlisle said. "If you can see someone, that's often a break upon people's aggression — not always, but it does seem to have some break upon crossing the line."

The full consequences of bullying on the brain aren't fully understood, but kids who are targeted by bullies in childhood and adolescence are at increased risk for psychological problems that can stretch into adulthood, according to experts. In the moment, bullied kids may be unable to sleep or suffer a range of stomach issues and headaches. Later on, they're at risk for depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug use.

OCT. 24 UNITY DAY
Among the marquee National Bullying Prevention Month activities is Unity Day, observed on Wednesday, Oct. 24, when everyone is encouraged to wear and show orange to send a message that no child should ever experience bullying.

"Orange provides a powerful, visually compelling expression of solidarity," Paula Goldberg, the executive director of the PACER Center, said in a statement. "Whether it's hundreds of individuals at a school wearing orange, store owners offering orange products or a community changing a landmark to orange, the vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, sending the supportive, universal message that bullying is never acceptable behavior."

Here's more about Unity Day:

THE BULLY MENACE: WHAT'S AHEAD
During October and beyond, several experts have agreed to answer readers' questions about bullying, ranging from how to keep their kids from becoming targets to what to do if their kids are the bullies. We'll also delve into some of the issues surrounding bullying.

Take a look back at some of the stories in our series:

• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• They All Failed Changed Child: Malden Bullying Detailed
• Bullies, Their Targets The Same In A Surprising Number Of Cases
• 'Everyday, I Wear Your Words,' Teen Tells Bullies In Video
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters
• Bullying Of Mallory Grossman, 12, Spelled Out In Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Their Tortured Minds
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Simple Handshake

If you have a question or want to share your story, please email bullies@patch.com.

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