Councilwoman Christine Scalera Continues Her Fight Against Bullying

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — October is Bullying Prevention Month, and Southampton Town Councilwoman Christine Scalera continues to wage a war against the insidious issue that torments kids across the board.

Scalera and the Southampton Town Youth Bureau are partnering with the National Bullying Prevention Center in recognizing October as Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month.

Scalera and the town have worked together to organize two educational and informational forums in October with a focus on cyber-bullying.

The first event will take place on Thursday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Senior Center with guest speaker Detective Rory Forrestal of the Suffolk County Police Department presenting “Internet Safety, Cyber-Bullying and Cyber Law” for parents, school officials and high school students, a release said.

The second event will take place on Thursday, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Southampton Town Hall in the lower level meeting room.

The event, a roundtable discussion for parents and adults on“Practical Strategies about Handling Cyber Bullying," will feature School Resource Officer Kimberleigh Radigan of Southampton Village Police Department, Dignity for All Students Act coordinators from local schools, and an IT manager.

“The last four years were a great success, but as the problem continues to exist, often with traumatic and even tragic consequences, it is my hope that these annual seminars continue to inform, provide strategies and tools and perhaps most importantly, create awareness for school administrators, teachers, parents and our kids,” Scalera said. “We need to reinforce a policy of zero tolerance when it comes to bullying. We owe it to our children."

The internet has brought bullying to a whole new level, educators say.

“Children and parents need strategies to help them negotiate today’s cyber world; too many mistakes are made behind the screen of an electronic device that might not be made during a face to face encounter,” said Southampton Youth Bureau Director Nancy Lynott. "Today’s youth communicate and get information primarily on their phones, and the toll of all too common negative encounters on social media is becoming increasingly serious."

For additional information on the upcoming events, contact Scalera’s office at 631-287-5745 or the Southampton Youth Bureau at 631-702-2425 or on the web by clicking here.