JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Two years ago, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Youth Programs’ Torch Club, an organization consisting primarily of middle school students, tackled the problem of bullying as its national project.
The Torch Club’s project exemplified the proactive approach schools, youth centers, parents and students themselves are taking toward bullying, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ stopbullying.gov website as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.”
Bullying is an issue that is on the minds of teens and pre-teens, as well as their parents, particularly in the age of the internet. It is experienced by more than 20 percent of students ages 12-18, according to a recent report compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics.
“For our students, bullying is an ongoing topic,” said Andrea Black, JBSA-Randolph Youth Programs programs director. “It’s something they deal with on a daily basis.”
The topic of bullying often comes up in the after-school forums of the Torch Club and Youth Programs’ Keystone Club, a service organization for high school students, Black said.
Speaking out against bullying empowers the students who raise their voices during these gatherings, she said.
The youth center also plays an important role, proclaiming its anti-bullying message on posters in the facility and intervening when a problem arises.
“The posters remind children this is a bully-free zone,” Black said. “It’s something we won’t tolerate. This is their safe place.”
Students enrolled in Youth Programs can speak to any staff member when something is bothering them, Black said.
“We’re able to provide tools for them to adapt and roll with the punches,” she said.
Youth Programs also encourages students to speak to their peers on any topic that concerns them, Black said.
“If Keystone members hear about bullying or some other problem, they’ll talk with the kids involved and give them a peer-to-peer talk,” she said. “Once it’s brought to the forefront, it stops.”
Randolph Middle School’s approach to bullying lies in building a positive campus culture, said Principal Merrie Fox. Activities that foster professional development, set campus expectations, teach students about respect and responsibility, and inspire and challenge them are the building blocks of the culture.
“We do a lot of training in-house, and we also send our teachers to conferences,” she said, referring to sessions such as the Military Child Education Coalition Conference and Capturing Kids’ Hearts training. “We want teachers to build relationships with kids so they feel connected to their school.”
The school also utilizes the “Leader in Me” program based on author and motivational speaker Sean Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful Teens.”
For their students, Randolph Middle School offers special events such as last fall’s presentation by New York-based JLine Dance Crew, a troupe that performs anti-bullying assemblies across the country.
Fox said it’s important for students to feel connected to their school, so those who are not active in University Interscholastic League activities such as athletics, band, choir and theater are encouraged to belong to organizations such as Ro-Hawk Regents, which helps new students adjust to the school, and Rowdy Ro-Hawks, which cheers for sports teams, promotes school spirit and participates in service projects such as raising money for the Fisher House. Clubs based on interests ranging from games and walking to digital photography and power lifting are also available.
“We want to find a place where our students fit in with like-minded individuals,” she said.
Bullying takes many forms – from teasing, name-calling, social bullying and Facebook posts to hitting, tripping and other violent behavior.
“What we see more often is quiet bullying – such as exclusion and starting and spreading rumors,” Fox said.
Bullying often occurs in school buildings, but it can also happen on playgrounds and on school buses.
A parent who works at JBSA-Randolph said her 11-year-old daughter was the victim of threats and name-calling by a 12-year-old boy who took her assigned seat on the bus. She was also bullied by his companions.
The parent advises children to tell their parents when they are being bullied, while parents should discuss different ways to resolve the issue and inform their children of the consequences of any action taken to handle the problem.
Parents can also play an important role in preventing bullying by being more engaged in their children’s lives, she said.
“They need to have an open line of communication with their children’s school and let officials and teachers know what’s going on,” the parent said. “They should be involved in the school and know who their children’s teachers and friends are.”
Angela Green, JBSA-Randolph Military & Family Readiness Center school liaison officer, said schools, parents and students have a collaborative role in bullying prevention.
“Most schools have an anti-bullying policy in place, which is a plus,” she said. “They need to let students know it won’t be tolerated.
“We also have to get to the point where kids reach out and talk to an adult they trust,” Green said. “School officials and parents can’t do anything if they don’t know it’s happening.”