Photo By Sgt. William Battle | David Mitchell and Dexter explain the acronyms S.M.I.L.E and H.E.R.O to students at...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - On Friday, Mahaffey Middle School was host to the anti bullying program “Stronger than a Bully.” Organized by the school’s Parent Teacher Organization and presented by Mobile Ed Productions, the program aims to empower children when they encounter bullying. In order to concentrate the message, 500 Mahaffey students were given the presentation according to their grade level.
Finding where they fit into the world and discovering who they are and what they want to be, are challenges every child faces. Childhood is a time when people first learn how to interact with each other. They are learning how to get along, cooperate and understand their feelings. It is when confronted with bullying that the joy of being a child can be interrupted and may cause long-term complications in their development.
Presenter David Mitchell uses audience participation, ventriloquism, magic and role playing to actively engage students, educate them on the different types of bullying and teach them important steps to avoid becoming the victim of a bully.
“We can’t talk to kids enough about this,” said Gary Gerstner, assistant superintendent for Department of Defense Education Activities’ Kentucky district. “No child deserves to be a victim,” said Gerstner.
The interactive program is designed around two acronyms that help children remember the steps to take action.
The first acronym, S.M.I.L.E is aimed at what children should do when personally confronted by a bully. It stands for Stay cool, Make eye contact (take a positive posture), Identify the attack, Lead positive conversation and Erase the attack. Mitchell introduced students to his wisecracking friend Dexter the Duck as they performed examples of bullying behaviors for the audience. This section was accented by a magic trick that had five students pick letters from the acronym while Mitchell guessed which letters they had chosen and the audience shouted what each letter meant.
The second acronym, H.E.R.O gives the students a plan and the steps to take when they witness bullying. Students are taught to Help out (get involved), Empathize (identify with the victim), Respond with proper action and report the incident, and Open communication by talking with the victim. “A hero is anyone who will stand up and help someone that needs it. Don’t be a bystander, be an upstander,” said Mitchell as he drew a face on his magic whiteboard. The children were delighted as the drawing came to life and spoke with Mitchell about helping others that are being bullied.
Assistant Principal, Pansy Straub was grateful that the PTO sponsored this program for the students. “Being a bully free environment is a message that we will continue to emphasize with all students,” she said. “We want our students to gain lifetime skills to keep from being in a bullying situation not only in middle school, but in future schooling and employment.”
The program at Mahaffey was intended to open a dialogue between students and their parents. It is important for parents to keep the lines of communication open with their children as many students keep bullying a secret. The presentation encourages children to speak up about bullying with their parents and other adults.
Emily Rich, a parent of an eighth grader at Mahaffey middle school, plans on having a discussion with her daughter about the presentation. “This will be a topic of conversation on the way home with my daughter,” said Rich.
Bullying does not only affect children. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, it is important that parents and school staff work together when trying to resolve bullying in schools. With the growing attention attached to bullying and its effect on the youth, this program is a proactive step in helping to reduce its negative impact on students.
Resources:
National Bullying Prevention Center – www.pacer.org/bullying
Stop Bullying.gov – www.stopbullying.gov
Anti-Bullying Network – www.antibullying.net
INFO BOX
Children at risk of being bullied
• Are perceived as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, wearing glasses or different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids consider “cool”
• Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves
• Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem
• Are less popular than others and have few friends
• Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or antagonize others for attention
If a child has these risk factors, it doesn’t mean that they will be bullied.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2014 11:27 |
| Story ID: | 150919 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 311 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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