Montco School Districts Organize For Bullying Prevention Month

Over the past year, Patch has highlighted the ongoing issue of bullying and cyberbulling in schools nationwide. With each story, we’ve heard poignant stories from Patch readers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere who experienced bullying and overcame it, but also many who continue to struggle with the damage done 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, many also said parents should talk more with their kids about bullying and keep closer track of 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 Montgomery County and around the country in a conversation on how to create a world safe from bullying.

Programs in Montgomery County Schools

Abington

Abington began their anti-bullying programming with the "Start With Hello" week last week. The program part of a national effort funded by Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit led by family members of those killed in the Sandy Hook mass shooting in December 2012.

The program encourages students in grades 2-12 to be "socially inclusive." Read more from the district below:

"Other learning activities throughout the week, at Overlook and other schools across the District, range from “Hey Day” at Copper Beech Elementary School ― where everyone in the school will wear a name tag and each student will be challenged to say hello to three new people they did not previously know using "hello, their name, and a smile," the district said in a statement. There's also 'Give a Smile Day' at Willow Hill Elementary School, "when teachers will pass out preprinted smiley faces or stickers and students will be asked to pass their smile to someone who either made them smile or may be in need of a smile."

At the secondary level, Start With Hello Week extends into early October with two assemblies at the Junior High for 7th and 8th grade students, led by school counselors and psychologists, which connect to the District’s already-established Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, aimed at strengthening the school community."

Spring-Ford

At Spring-Ford, several different clubs have organized events for this month. Here's a quick run down of what's going on, according to the district:

• Student Assistance Program (SAP): The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is comprised of teachers, guidance counselors, the school nurse, a building administrator, and outside consultants. All SAP team members have received training that enables them to identify and intervene with students who are "at-risk" for substance abuse, depression, suicide, eating disorders, and/or other emotional concerns.
• RAM Watch: Often times, students are the ones who really know if a friend or peer is in trouble, and who may be in need of help. RAM Watch was designed to give students a safe and anonymous way to watch out for those friends.
• Spring-Ford Resiliency: Student and staff resiliency efforts began in our district eight years ago. Resiliency Club members focusing on leadership, community, and social-emotional well-being. They learn how to develop respect, responsibility and create healthy relationships. These students offer multiple, day long Unity Days to their peers building a stronger, more resilient student body.
• Aevdium Club: Aevidum is a non-profit organization that empowers youth to shatter the silence surrounding depression, suicide, and other issues facing teens. The word Aevidum, which means "I've got your back," was created by students after a classmate died by suicide. Aevidum inspires schools and communities to adopt cultures of care and advocacy, encouraging all members to have their friends' backs. Aevidum exists in schools and colleges across the nation.
• Many Spring-Ford schools also plan and participate in school-wide Pro-Social events. These events are more than just school pep-rallies and team building activities. They instill positive social skills, which help kids stay active in school, out of trouble and find success as they continue through life.

North Penn

Over at North Penn, all 13 elementary schools are working with the DA's Office and county detectives on a cyber bullying prevention presentation.

Four schools will be hosting those presentations in October.

Pennfield Middle School will be hosting a lesson on respect, and "how much words hurt others," the district said. Hatfield Elementary hosts a yearly week-long spirit week, which focuses on "communicating positive anti-bullying messages."

Perkiomen Valley

An annual "Stamp Out Bullying" program is held at Schwenksville Elementary School in October. The district also holds a program called School Wide Behavior Interventions year round

"This program has been rolled out over a period of several years at our buildings, and it helps schools to establish a set of behavioral expectations for students and those expectations often emphasize being respectful, responsible and kind," PV spokesperson Jessica Lester told Patch. "Students who exhibit those positive behaviors are rewarded through tickets and prizes. The idea is to stop negative behaviors before they start."

Wissahickon

Wissahickon's KIA (Kindness in Action) Club has started something called the Lunch Buddies initiative.

"While many other inclusive programs have incredible intentions, they sometimes rely on awkward and forced interactions," Wissahickon spokesperson Kristen Rawlings writes. "This initiative, however, is taking a different approach to helping students create new friends and solid relationships. Essentially, any student who feels comfortable having classmates approach and join them at lunch will receive a FOR (Friends of Rachel) button to put on their book bag or lunchbox. Wearing this button lets other students know you are happy to have them eat lunch with you. While it might be hard for some students to gain the courage to go up to a classmate and ask to eat lunch with them, having the FOR button assures the student that they will be accepted and always have a place to sit at lunch. For anyone reading this, be the reason someone believes in the goodness in people, and remember that kindness costs $0.00."

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 justin.heinze@patch.com and copy bullies@patch.com. You can post Bullying Prevention Month related events and other activities here on Patch.

>>Share your local events on Patch's calendar here.

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.

>>Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words

And because cyberbullies sometimes 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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