By Desarea Gonzales | Photos by Allison Boerger |
Every day, students across the country get their feelings hurt or even get physically hurt through bullying. When that happens, they can’t pay attention and learn, and they do not enjoy school. So they are more likely to be absent, drop out or even take their own life. But the school has organizations on campus committing to help prevent bullying.
One program, called Safe School Ambassadors, employs students to help break down factors that promote bullying.
“The purpose of SSA is to empower students to create a safe environment for their home campus, “ teacher Graylnne Griffin said. “They are trained to notice, think, act, and follow and try to influence other people to help join [the organization].”
Students who are being bullied can reach out to the counseling office, and also get training on how best to respond themselves.
“ We don’t only try to stop the bullies, but we try to help the person being bullied with their communication skill,” STAN Counselor Werk Cook said. “The person being bullied is not at all helpless; they just need to learn when to walk away. And how to do so properly.”
The students also have support and help by some students who are in the SSA if they want it.
“We have a group of students who will help these students with anything they need, even if it means we need to provide someone to walk them to class, we’ll do anything in our power to help this student be safe,” Griffin said.
This way if someone sees somebody bullied the helpful thing to do is get help and help defend the person being bullied for their safety. NEISD has a bullying resource page on their web site, which provides helpful tips, including some for help for bystanders. who see someone being bullied. The district also has a 24-hour hotline for the kids being bullied to call, 210-655-CARE.
Student organizations are getting on board to help students commit to a bully-free environment.
Nov. 19-24 was Bullying Awareness week, so with that in mind, another organization, the FCCLA, launched a day of commitment to not bully Nov.21. Students could sign pledge cards in the cafeteria and sign a banner, which is now hanging in SABER, committing not to bully.
“We hope to see an awareness of bullying and maybe people who were doing it but didn’t know,” FCCLA senior Vernisha Martin said. “We hope people will try to change their ways.”
