Kayla Gahagan, Journal Staff
RAPID CITY - Sad.
That's the way 8-year-old Sarah Lehman said she feels when she sees
a fellow Corral Drive Elementary student getting
bullied.
"I saw a kid …
walking and somebody jumped on him and somebody punched him," she
said.
It also scares
her.
"It makes me feel
like they're going to come and do it to me," she said.
Sarah was one of
many local second-graders who learned Wednesday what to do if they
see someone being bullied, or are being bullied themselves. As part
of Stop America's Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Day, Stephanie Lehman
of the Ninth District Medical Alliance visited second-grade
classrooms at Corral Drive, while other volunteers made the rounds
at other local schools.
The SAVE message
this year is "Stop Bullying in our Schools."
Along with Lehman,
the students in Bridget Buchli's classroom used a workbook to
follow the story of a boy named Keith who was being bullied at his
school and how he made good choices when reacting to
it.
"If somebody's
bullying you, you never want to keep it inside," she told the
students.
If in a situation
where they are being bullied, Lehman suggested walking away,
telling the bully to go away or that they don't like being treated
badly. Then, find an adult.
Fighting back is
never a good option, she said, because "fighting fire with fire
just makes a bigger fire."
"You guys have
choices," she said. "You don't have to let somebody bully
you."
She reminded the
students that bullying can be physical, or with words.
"Sometimes words
hurt more than getting punched," she said.
A half-hour
workshop on bullying is not enough, Lehman said, but it's a start.
SAVE Day was started in 1999 after the Columbine shooting, to
create awareness of violence in communities. The local alliance has
been visiting the second-grade classes in Rapid City for four
years, she said.
"At least every
child will hear it once in second grade," she said. "It starts in
elementary. … By high school it's almost too late."
It seems to help,
Buchli said.
"It's really
effective," she said. "I think they're more familiar with it and
(are) eager to ask for help."
After the talk with
Lehman, Sarah said that she knows she will do something different
the next time she sees bullying going on.
"I would go tell a
teacher," she said.
Bullying
essentially comes down to power, Lehman said, and someone might be
a bully because they are hurting inside.
"Bullying is a lot
about power," she said. "But you guys have the power to make the
right choices."
Kayla Gahagan can
be reached at 394-8410 or
kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com
When your
child is bullied
- Listen to them;
make it clear it is not their fault.
- Teach
self-respect.
- Do not teach them
to fight back.
- Help them search
for answers
- Get involved at
their school.
When your
child bullies
- Model caring and
empathetic relationships at home.
- Help them develop
their skills and interests.
- Establish
consistent rules and limits.
- Recognize and
reward positive attitudes, behaviors and actions.
- Avoid use of
physical punishment, harsh criticism and violent emotional
outbursts.
Source: American
Medical Association Alliance, Inc.
