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Last Updated: 02/11/2005
The Rockbridge Report is produced
under the supervision of the Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communications
at Washington and Lee University.
Reporting supervisors: Prof. Doug Cumming
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Rockbridge Middle School gets
proactive against bullies By Leah Kershaw In a survey last fall, over 42 percent of Rockbridge Middle School students reported that they had been bullied while at school. The school is being proactive about bullying with a new program, No Room for Bullies. No Room for Bullies is funded with a $2,500 grant from the Virginia Health Department. The program, directed by Rockbridge Middle School guidance counselor Rita Biggs, includes teacher training, classroom instruction with videos and a theatrical presentation. Biggs said she began implementing the program this fall and believes the program is already reducing bullying. “Kids have a tendency to not be empowered,” she said. “This program teaches kids to be empowered.” R5, a theatrical group from Omaha, Neb., presented a motivational assembly to the students on Tuesday. R5, which stands for relevant, reconnect, rethink, rediscover and remember, features college students performing role-plays and testimonies about the struggle to fit in at school. The hour long presentation was audience interactive and strived to connect with students using humor and modern culture. Rockbridge Middle students were impacted by the performance. At the end of the assembly, all of the 8th grade boys were asked to come forward if they cared about the feelings of their schoolmates. All of them did. Mike Donahue, the founder of R5, then asked the boys to make a pledge with him that they would be role-models for their school. Donahue reminded the boys of their role as school leaders and the importance of the legacy they will leave behind. Although rock music was blaring, the boys solemnly agreed to the pledge. Donahue, a youth pastor for over 30 years, started R5 after the incident at Columbine High School in Littleton, Col. in 1999. “The event made me realize that I needed to get into public schools and counsel children about the importance of understanding an accepting one another,” he said. Donahue’s program is honest and explains the harsh realities of abuse that some students endure, whether it comes from friends or family members. Donahue said that his goal with his presentations is to “be [the students’] friend and tell them like it is.” Watching the children’s faces as they left the auditorium, Donahue realized that his message had been heard. Biggs agreed and said that the presentation would have a positive effect on the students’ behavior. Rockbridge Middle’s initiative to reduce bullying mimics a statewide effort. The Virginia House of Delegates is considering an amendment to House Bill 2266, which would include bullying as a topic in schools’ character education programs. The amendment ensures that the parents of victims are notified of bullying occurrences and allows them to press criminal charges. Delegate Rob Bell, R-Albermarle, proposed the amendment. Bell said the inclusion of bullying in state laws will set important ground rules for the punishment of bullies. Inclusion of bullying in character education classes would inform students of the negative effects of social and emotional bullying. Bell said parents of bullying victims should be informed about incidents that occur. “Under current law, notification is sent to the parents of the bully, the police and even records keepers in Richmond, but no notice is sent to the victim's parents,” he said. Rockbridge County public schools are ahead of the Virginia government. Bullying is already defined and outlined as unacceptable behavior in the standards of student conduct for the county. However, according to John Burks, superintendent of Rockbridge County schools, the punishment of bullies is left to each school’s discretion. John Morris, the principal of Rockbridge Middle, said that he deals with around five serious cases of bullying a year. In these cases Morris uses the school resource officer to counsel students about their actions. Mike Cash, the school resource officer, uses the knowledge he has from his police officer background to counsel students. Cash said that he speaks with both the victim and the bully to understand the situation. He also said that his further actions are dependent on the severity of the bully’s actions. Harry Stone, the principal of Central Elementary School, said that he rarely uses suspension as a punishment for bullies. He said that he wants the negative behavior of bullies to be modified and that he cannot work on the behavior if the child is not in school. Stone also said that one of his first actions is to help a child understand that he or she is being a bully, which is not always obvious to children. For Stone, the elimination of bullying will come when students have a mutual respect of one another. “If you can teach respect, other behaviors will come,” he said. |