Students across District wear blue to mark World Day of Bullying Prevention

Nobody likes a bully!

That was the stark message students and staff at Nelson Mandela/Hosea Zollicoffer School delivered Monday morning by wearing blue to mark the World Day of Bullying Prevention.

Nicknamed “Blue Shirt Day,” the initiative is held on the first Monday of October and is meant to help students recognize the insidious signs of harassment and report it to teachers and parents.

The observance was founded by STOMP Out Bullying, a leading anti-bullying and cyberbullying organization. It kicks off National Bullying Prevention Month, which was created in 2006 by the National Bullying Prevention Center.

“I see you’re wearing blue for National Bullying Prevention Month to take a stand against bullying,” Dr. Jamal Doggett, assistant superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Administration, told second-grade teacher Marcia Wint’s students.

“We want to practice that all throughout the year,” he added during a tour of the building with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Demario Strickland.

"We are excited to launch our districtwide awareness campaign for bullying prevention by wearing blue shirts to take a united stance against bullying," Dr. Doggett said. "Our schools will conduct a series of bullying prevention activities during the month of October and throughout the school year to ensure their continued commitment to deterring violence in schools, online and our community."

In first-grade teacher Brittany Richter’s class, virtually all of the students wore shirts in various shades of blue.

One of them, Joleen Adjei, volunteered to share what she has learned about the significance of the attire.

“It shows that you’re not a bully to other people,” she said.

When asked what happens when someone is bullied, Joleen said that “you’re hitting them or you’re doing something to them and they’re saying ‘stop!’ It makes them feel sad and scared.”

She said that anyone who is targeted must “tell your principal or tell all your teachers.”

Meanwhile, fourth-grade teacher Michelle Mazzotta-Sigal said she had spoken to her students about how to recognize and root out bullying.
“We talked about respecting each other and how to deal with bullies … if you see someone getting bullied, what to do – tell an adult, whether in school or at home,” she said. “Have a conversation with your parents.”

Ms. Mazzotta-Sigal said she explained to her students that “when bullies do that, it’s sometimes to feel more power over someone else and that they need help,” adding that anti-bullying messaging must be repeated throughout the year.

One of her students, Ayhara Valenzuela, said that sometimes children bully their peers because of problems they have in their own homes, including with their parents.

“It’s not nice for older kids to bully younger kids,” she said.

Her classmate Soryiah Dixon said students who are bullied frequently find it difficult to focus on school.

“I think older kids should respect younger kids. When older kids bully younger kids they get very sad and cry and the older kids get in trouble,” she said.

“STOMP Out Bullying is dedicated to changing the culture for all students. It works to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying, and other digital abuse, educates against homophobia, LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism and hatred, and deters violence in schools, online and in communities across the country,” according to the organization’s website.

“In this diverse world, STOMP Out Bullying promotes civility, inclusion and equality. It teaches effective solutions on how to respond to all forms of bullying, as well as educating kids and teens in school and online,” it says.

A signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month is Unity Day, which will be marked this year on Wednesday, October 22, by wearing orange to “send a visible message of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.”

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