COLUMBUS, Texas – Studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that nearly one-third of all U.S. public school students reported that they experienced bullying, either as a target or a perpetrator.
“Bullying is a huge issue among our youth, and it can leave ‘scars’ that many victims carry with them for a lifetime, it can even lead to death,” said Janis Pfeffer, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent in Colorado County.
Bullying is such a menace that the state of Texas has passed mandates over the years that require school districts to address the issue in their discipline management programs, she said.
“The state of Texas wants those programs to include prevention and education concerning unwanted physical and verbal aggression, sexual harassment and other forms of bullying in school, on school grounds and in school vehicles, as well as cyberbullying,” Pfeffer said.
In response to the mandates, AgriLife Extension partnered with Texas Rural Mediation Services to develop a curriculum enrichment program titled “Take a Stand.” It targets students in all public school age groups, grades 1 through 12.
“Each grade level has different lessons,” she said. “Cyberbullying, for example, is addressed in the 6th-8th and the 9th-12th grade curriculum, while education on dating violence is in the 9th-12th grade curriculum only.”
Pfeffer piloted K-2nd grade curriculum at Columbus Elementary School, which AgriLife Extension added to the Take a Stand program in 2013, she said. The focus is on manners, good sportsmanship, identifying bullying and cultural differences.
AgriLife Extension’s overall goal is to foster the development of communication between adults and youths,” she said. “And the common thread is conflict resolution and identifying what bullying is.”
The other four Take a Stand topics include communication, etiquette, teamwork and cultural awareness.
“It’s important that targets of bullying communicate, that they report it to someone,” Pfeffer said. “Manners and etiquette are important to promote because we all know that people of good character have good manners; bullies don’t.
“Teamwork is important because it teaches us that even though we may have a differing opinion than the majority of the group, we shouldn’t just quit the group or strike out in anger because that leads to conflict, she said.
“And finally, the lessons on cultural awareness teach that we are all different. We have different languages, religions, dress, customs and other unique traits. We shouldn’t judge simply because others are different.”
Pfeffer has focused Take a Stand on 6th graders at Columbus Junior High School. After four years of teaching the curriculum, she estimates she has reached over 500 students.
“We strive to reach these students because they are entering a new campus,” she said. “We try to reach them early in the school year, beginning in September and finishing by mid-October.”
Her outreach partners include members of the Columbus Police Department.
“The officers explain Texas law and what you could potentially be charged with as a result of bullying and cyberbullying,” she explained. “They also explain how they document and track incidents and identify patterns of behavior.”
While Pfeffer receives favorable survey feedback from students taught lessons from Take a Stand, she explained it’s teachers who confirm that her lessons are getting through.
“It’s very gratifying to hear from the teachers of these students that they witness how students use what they learn,” she said. “They see, for example, students standing up to bullies, protecting victims, who are usually kids who have few or no friends. Those students with no friends are usually those that tend to get bullied.”
Pfeffer said she plans to continue the program in 2015 for 6th graders and possibly expand to additional grades in the future.s in the future.