Standing up to bullying
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Amherst Middle School eighth graders Audrey Seaner, left, and Alissa Nigro wore pink shirts to show they "Stand Up to Bullying" on April 2. Students signed pledges and taped them to the outside of their lockers to indicate their commitment to their peers.

Students at Amherst Middle School are standing up to bullies.

The school improved on its bully prevention program by taking part in Stand Up to Bullying Day on April 2.

The students, staff and teachers dressed in pink to show they won't stand by and allow bullying in their school.

"There are three groups involved - the bully, the victim and the bystanders. The power really lies with the bystander group," Amherst Middle School counselor Shari Bauda said. "They have the ability to stop it, not be silent."

Stand Up to Bullying Day was started in Canada by an organization that urges schools to focus on the problem.

The color pink became a symbol of antibullying after an incident in a high school in Nova Scotia. Bauda said a boy went to the first day of school wearing a pink shirt and was teased and harassed about it.

That night, a group of senior boys went out and bought as many pink shirts as they could find and got the senior class to wear them as a protest to the bullies.

"It's a powerful message, kids taking an initiative and not being bystanders and letting it happen," Bauda said.

During Stand Up to Bullying Day, Amherst students signed a pledge and taped them outside their lockers, indicating their commitment to their peers.

Bauda said Amherst Middle has had a successful program and takes an active approach to bullying. From speaking to classes to a "bully box," students have outlets to address their issues.

The bully box allows students to report an incident anonymously or for a victim to reach out for help.

"The great thing about the middle school is kids are willing to talk about their problems. I have students who notice issues and come and talk about them all the time," she said, adding that she believes their program is working.

Bauda added it has also helped bullies learn to deal with their lives and begin to understand why they act the way they do.

She said there was a great deal of participation in Stand Up to Bullying Day, which served as a reminder to everyone to remember to be careful about how they behave.