The Battle against Bullying

"How can we stop the bullying?" a freshman at RCC, Julie Stevens asked. "I see it go on all the time." On Feb. 17,  a panel of local experts on bullying came to RCC to try to solve that problem, in the theater in the Cultural Arts Center. Inspired by recent suicides of young adults, the meeting was called to find solutions to the widespread problem of bullying.

Moderated by News 12's Brian Connybeare, members of the community asked the panel various questions ranging from legal recourse in the event of bullying to dealing with school administrators who claim they cannot provide solutions.

In the past, students accused of bullying would be treated as first time offenders. In response to claims that bullies aren't brought to justice, DA Thomas Zugibe told of his program that brings together information from schools, police, and the DA's office to judges.

        While most of the people who addressed the panel were victims of bullying or the family of members of victims, former "bullies" also spoke on the need for education on the impact of words.

        "How do you let people know [that]they're bullying?" asked student Tom Warner, and stressed  the need to teach "the power of words, how (does) it affect people."

        John Haber, author of "Bullyproof Your Child for Life,"talked about the importance of recognizing that not all bullies are insecure. He referenced research showing that many students attempt to maintain their social status through verbally and physically abusing others. These types of bullies are likely to get away with more because they can connect with teachers. 

        Although the general consensus was positive, some felt that some issues weren't addressed. Suffern High School student Courtney Cramer thought that the discussion was informative, but  "no real solution" was reached.

However, it seemed the large majority of the students came out of the discussion with a positive outlook.

"I liked it," said sophomore Ana Aparicio. " I think it's great [that] they engaged students."

        It was generally agreed that community involvement would be necessary, in order to truly win this fight. While one person may be able to help a victim of bullying, it will take everyone to keep it from happening in the first place. Clubs and activities can help students, who may have no other support structure in their life, to deal with bullying. Cyber bullying was addressed many times by the panel, but little was offered in the way of solutions. Haber's advice was "never respond" when dealing with cyber bullying, as this will only lead to further attacks.

Additional panelists included: Ellen Morehouse; executive director of Student Assistance Services, rri K. Needle; Professor and Counselor at RCC, Linda Grimm; principal of Mildred E. Strang Middle School, and Michael Digeronimo, President of the Monroe Woodbury Board of Education.