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Falmouth schools target bullying
By Aaron Gouveia, agouveia@capecodonline.com
When Grace Haslett's friend wrote hurtful things about her on Facebook, the 13-year-old Falmouth student said she was crushed.
Grace, an eighth-grader at the
Lawrence School, recognized the behavior as a form of bullying and said
she's decided to delete her Facebook account until she's older.
But student bullying has caused other
victims, such as 15-year-old Phoebe Prince of South Hadley, to take
their own lives following months of relentless harassment at the hands
of classmates.
It is part of a disturbing trend
called "cyberbullying," in which teens use Internet technology and cell
phones to harass their peers. No longer confined to cafeterias or
school playgrounds, bullies use text messaging and social networking
websites to barrage their targets on an around-the-clock basis.
"It happens all the time here and no one does enough to stop it," Grace said.
But with bullying in the limelight
after the suicides of Prince and 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover
of Springfield last year, legislators and school officials are taking
notice.
The state Senate and House of
Representatives unanimously passed anti-bullying legislation Thursday
and Gov. Deval Patrick has indicated he will sign it into law this
week. If signed into law, the legislation will increase the level of
involvement among school officials and parents where bullying is
concerned.
State Sen. Robert O'Leary,
D-Barnstable, spoke to the Times just before Thursday's vote and said
the bill makes it mandatory to report and investigate all instances of
bullying at schools and school events. Also, if bullying occurs in
cyberspace, school officials will be able to punish perpetrators if the
behavior carries over to the classroom and negatively impacts the
school environment.
The legislation also requires parents
of the alleged bullies and victims to be notified when there is an
incident, and school districts must create bullying prevention plans.
"It's critical to build the commitment of the community so bullying will not be tolerated," O'Leary said.
Some school districts, such as the
Martha's Vineyard Public Schools, instituted anti-bullying policies
years ago, Supt. James Weiss said.
Two Vineyard schools made headlines
last month when a group of high school girls allegedly hit and
threatened a 16-year-old classmate with promises to "cut her,"
according to a report in the Boston Herald.
Another bullying incident occurred at an Oak Bluffs school at about the same time.
Weiss confirmed the incidents but
would not discuss details, except to say the bullies were suspended in
accordance with the school district's policies.
"Do kids in our school bully? Yes.
Are we addressing those things? Certainly. Is it happening more now
than in the past? No," Weiss said. "The whole notion of bullying is
much more hypersensitive now, so every time there's an incident it's
much more escalated."
In Falmouth, teachers are
transforming a 10-year-old event called "No Guff Day" into a weeklong
anti-bullying campaign involving the entire community.
All students sign a pledge and vow
not to speak or text anything negative about anyone. "No Guff" signs
are plastered all over the schools, and businesses have joined in as
well this year.
Falmouth selectmen even signed an official declaration this year in recognition of "No Guff Week."
Alan Kazarian, guidance director of
the Falmouth school system, said the most significant progress occurs
when students communicate with each other. That's why teachers arranged
for Falmouth High School basketball players — fresh off an exhilarating
run in the state tournament — to speak with younger students regarding
respect and tolerance for one another, Kazarian said.
But a speech from Jennifer McNulty, a
Cape and Islands assistant district attorney who prosecutes juvenile
cases, proved to be one of the most effective presentations of the week.
When McNulty asked a group of about
75 seventh- and eighth-graders whether they had cell phones, nearly all
hands shot up in the air. Of those students, most of them had texting
and camera phone capabilities.
A handful of students said they can
access the Internet via their phones, and some admitted they routinely
accept friend requests on Facebook from people they don't know, simply
because they find the unknown person attractive.
After advising students about safe
Internet practices, McNulty delivered a stern warning and list of
consequences for kids who think bullying is acceptable.
"If you continue to be a bully you
will be prosecuted because what you are doing is making yourself feel
better while making others feel bad, and that is sick," McNulty said.
"For those of you who think this is funny, you're the ones who I'll see
in court soon."
McNulty gave a speech earlier this
week at a different school, and said one student was so affected that
he essentially "confessed" to McNulty about being a bully and asked
what he could do to avoid future criminal charges.
Jared Talbot and Connor Moulton, both
14, said McNulty's speech stunned many of their classmates, and Jared
said the silence during her speech was evidence that it "took a toll on
a bunch of the kids who are bullies." Both students said they have been
the target of bullies in the past, adding they are thankful for "No
Guff Week" because it lets the entire community know making fun of
others is not acceptable.
"The best way to stop it is aby talking about it," Connor said.
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