After-School Nearly 20,000 Take A Stand Against Bullying

SANTA ANA, Calif., May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Students who participate in Southern California-based THINK Together after-school programs have collected nearly 20,000 signatures on anti-bullying pledges as part of an awareness raising campaign intended to equip students, parents, teachers and staff with information and skills needed to take an active stand against bullying.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100511/DC02123)

Following several high profile bullying incidents, celebrities including Anderson Cooper, Dr. Phil McGraw and his son Jay, Ellen DeGeneres and Tyra Banks have focused attention on the tragic results of bullying.  In an appearance on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees last month, Dr. Phil urged students, parents and teachers around the nation to take anti-bullying pledges he made available online.  

Hearing that call-to-action, students and staff at THINK Together after-school programs launched an anti-bullying campaign to bring added attention to what is being called an epidemic problem among school-age children.

"Bullying is intolerable.  That's one of the reasons that students who participate in THINK Together's after-school programs are reminded each day of these four 'Agreements:' be safe, be responsible, be respectful and have fun," notes Randy Barth, Founder & CEO of THINK Together.  "THINK Together is committed to creating a safe, positive environment for students in the after-school hours."

"And given recent  news stories, we thought it was a good idea to launch a focused campaign that addresses the problem head on and equips our students, staff and parents with the additional information and skills they need to take a stand against bullying."

As part of the after-school program's awareness campaign, THINK Together's education team designed specific lesson plans and activities for its kindergarten through 8th grade students that included roundtable dialogues, roll playing, skits, storytelling, art projects, assertion/leadership training and more. Then students asked each other as well as their parents, staff and teachers to sign anti-bullying pledges stating:

We believe that everybody should enjoy our school equally, and feel safe, secure and accepted regardless of color, race, gender, popularity, athletic ability, intelligence, religion and nationality.

Bullying can be pushing, shoving, hitting, and spitting, as well as name calling, picking on, making fun of, laughing at, and excluding someone. Bullying causes pain and stress to victims and is never justified or excusable as "kids being kids," "just teasing" or any other rationalization. The victim is never responsible for being a target of bullying.

Among the eleven specific agreements students committed to by signing pledges:

• Value student differences and treat others with respect.
• Report honestly and immediately all incidents of bullying to a faculty member.
• Support students who have been or are subjected to bullying.
• Provide a good role model for younger students and support them if bullying occurs.

THINK Together is a nonprofit organization that provides academically focused after-school programs for at-risk students (pre K through 12th grade) in predominately low-income neighborhoods across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. THINK is an acronym: Teaching, Helping, Inspiring & Nurturing Kids. For more information visit www.THINKtogether.org or www.facebook.com/THINKtogether.  

SOURCE THINK Together, Inc.