LONGVIEW, Texas — October is National Bullying prevention month. Schools across the nation constantly work to keep their students from experiencing the pain of being bullied.
Foster Middle School in Longview has a year-round, student led program that aims to prevent bullying.
Alicia Johnson is an Intervention Specialist at Foster Middle School. She started what is called the anti-bullying committee last year. She says the student-led organization takes concrete steps towards bullying prevention.
“The anti-bullying committee itself is a safe space for any student who feels like they want to have a voice in on their campus," Johnson said. "All the things that we're doing come from the students: The ideas, the actions, and all those efforts are from the students […] they are charged with setting the example."
The anti-bullying committee organizes events at school to promote friendship, and they also work to prevent bullying outside the classroom walls.
“They go to the elementary schools and offer just guidance and even sit scenarios through skits,” Johnson said.
Students involved in the program say they want to make sure everyone in school has a friend.
“I know how it feels. And I don't want other people to have to go through struggle going back that I had to go through,” 8th grader Grant Carlile said.
Johnson says much of the bullying within this generation happens on social media, where having an anti-bullying coalition made up of students is especially handy.
“A lot of the issues that we see happen as a response to social media, so a group like this is so important, because you have to empower those students to be change agents,” Johnson said.
According to Johnson, having students that watch out for bullying on social media is helpful because they can see things teachers, administrators or even parents cannot.
The anti-bullying committee is a way for students to learn how to lead by example.
“This group really offers them a leadership role on our campus. And a segue into having those tough conversations,” Johnson said.