Those days, Weldon police officers said at a program on bullying at the town's library Tuesday, are gone in the face of school policy that punishes both parties, can result in litigation from the bully's family and even retaliation that affects more than those originally involved.
“What they're teaching is to be positive and not to engage,” police Chief Mark Macon told youngsters and parents assembled for the program.
Settling scores individually, rather than reporting problems to parents, school administrators or teachers, may result in retaliation that involves guns being brought into the schools, Macon said. “Both students can be suspended from school, even long-term.”
Macon believes the Weldon school system is doing a good job at preventing bullying. “The campaign has spread, the kids are already educated.”
Macon speaks to the children.
Bullying takes on many forms, Macon told the children, from physical violence, verbal slurs and spreading rumors to excluding people from social groups, intimidation and cyber bullying. “With the availability of social media and text messages, it's more prevalent than back in my time,” Macon said of cyber bullying.
Some of the warning signs a child might be bullied is them not wanting to go to school, unexplained injuries, changes in eating habits and changes in grades.
Signs a child may be a bully include constant trips to the school counselor, violent and quick-tempered behavior, blaming others and not accepting responsibility for their actions.
It is important, Macon said, when you are bullied to talk to parents, an adult you can trust, a teacher, guidance counselor or principal.
Two of the papers.
Weldon Librarian LaTarsha Thomas-Debro at the beginning of the program placed a sheet of paper with different insults or taunts typed on them, including four-eyes, fat, skinny, whack and others.
Near the end of the program, she had each student, rip, ball up and stomp on the paper. She then had them unfold the paper or piece it back together to show the consequences of name-calling. “No matter how you stretch that paper back, you can't take back the feelings you had. Think about that sheet of paper and how you can't take back the words you call them.”
