Title	:	Mount Vernon grad involved with prevention of bullying
By	:	Pamela Schehl
Date	:	March 22, 2005
Source	:	Mount Vernon News
URL	:	http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/032205/bullying.html

Mount Vernon grad involved with prevention of bullying, violence

Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 07:44 AM

By PAMELA SCHEHLNews Staff Writer

MOUNT VERNON — Bullying instances are on the rise throughout the country and the federal government has an anti-bullying campaign to address the problem. One of the national resources for the research and development of school violence prevention strategies is the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence, based in Washington, D.C.

 Dennis White, a 1969 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, is a member of the institute and recently talked about the issue of bullying. White said the institute looks at bullying as a community development problem, not necessarily just a school problem or student problem. He said bullying is a serious problem which ultimately impacts the justice systems, social programs, and public health providers along with the schools.

 “We’re all in it together,” he said. “It’s not just principals. It’s not just teachers. It’s not just the kids. It’s not just the parents. It’s not just the community. ... Everyone has to work together to solve the problem.”

 Institute research, White said, shows the dynamics of bullying have changed over the years. During the ’50s and ’60s, school bullies were well recognized by everyone and were largely those people defined as “greasers” or “hoods.” Today, White said, there are still cliques and gangs — sometimes referred to as ”crews” — plus there are more individuals participating in bullying behavior.

 Furthermore, White said, bullying behavior was less tolerated in the last century. Intervention by peer groups would often stop the bully in his, or, less frequently in those days, her tracks. He said society’s response today is more ambivalent with idle bystanders more prevalent. White said the community at large must get past the idea that “Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls,” and decide what the limits are. Bullying in the schools, White said, affects the students’ social experience and negatively impacts the students’ academic experience as well.

 Another bullying “innovation” in recent years is something called cyber-bullying. White said that is growing into a very serious problem because perpetrators can be anonymous and avoid being held accountable for their hurtful words. He said the juvenile justice system considers cyber-bullying to be a bigger problem even than pedophiles in cyberspace.

 White said the institute is also looking into intentional and inadvertent bullying by teachers and is conducting college studies to determine the extent of bullying of students by faculty members.

 White confirmed research shows bullying is learned behavior and that children have to be taught how to treat others well. He said that while No Child Left Behind does not specifically provide federal dollars to schools to address bullying behavior, there are components such as character education, service learning and alternative education provisions in addition to the unsafe schools choice options provided for in the legislation. The Centers for Disease Control also provide grants for interventions such as the “Safe Dates” programs.

 White said the Hamilton Fish Institute can recommend and refer schools to effectiveanti-violence programs. He said the institute analyzes existing programs and researches their effectiveness. The institute’s university partners also develop, evaluate and refine intervention strategies. The research partners conduct controlled studies to measure long-term effects to make sure a program is sustainable and effective over time.

 White said some strategies shown to be effective are: Adults serving as role-models for appropriate behavior; limiting the amount of television a child watches; teaching alternative, more acceptable behaviors and parents being more involved in their children’s lives.

 The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence is funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice.

Page Updated: August 24, 2005