People are more than numbers, but these numbers say a lot: In the 2005-2006 school year, 53% of school violence reports occurred in Massachusetts MIDDLE schools.
We have heard a lot about violence in high schools, but now, the focus is on middle schools. A number of school districts across the state have started middle school violence prevention programs. At-risk youth are being monitored at an ever earlier age. And in the age of the internet, school officials, counselors and administrators say that when the taunts and bullying begin on Myspace or FaceBook, the tensions are eventually brought into the classroom.
This week, we look at violence in middle schools, the programs, resources, and questions.
Listen to the full show:
Plus, in our web specials: Enter the "no bully zone", experience a day in the life of an almost middle school teacher, and learn more about the Deana’s Educational Theater and the Massachusetts Aggression Reducation Center…
WEB SPECIALS:
A Day in the Life of an Almost Middle School Teacher
Radio Boston’s Claudine Ebeid once had dreams of being a teacher, but then discovered that those who can’t teach, produce radio:
She writes: "I thought it would be fulfilling, a job I could handle, a way I could make a difference. It could have been all those things, but instead it was an eye-opening and frightening experience that sent me fleeing the classroom…"
The No Bully Zone
Tewksbury, MA
At the John W. Wynn Middle School, the core curriculum includes a comprehensive anti-bullying program called Rachel’s Challenge.
Rachel Scott was the first victim in the 1999 Columbine shootings. She was shot while eating lunch on the lawn with a friend.
Following her death, her family launched Rachel’s Challenge. Based on a school assembly given by members of the Scott family and Columbine survivors, the program promotes five goals:
- Eliminate prejudice by looking for the best in others
- Dare to dream. Set goals. Keep a journal.
- Choose your influences. Input determines output.
- Kind words, small acts of kindness = Huge impact
- Start a chain reaction with family and friends.
These goals are at the center of education at the Wynn middle school. Radio Boston’s Meghna Chakrabarti spent a day at the school to get a taste of life in the "no bully zone"…
THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR: Adam Colontuoni
He’s 31, and the kind of counselor I yearned for as a middle schooler. Middle school is about focusing a youthful combination of curiosity and impulsiveness, he said. On our walk down the halls, Colontuoni connected with every kid, knew everyone’s names, and constantly reminded them, gently, that he’s watching.
THE STUDENTS: Courtney, Nicole, Jonathan, Tyler
Eighth graders, members of the Rachel’s Challenge "Teens against bullying" club, each of these students said that the climate in school changed immediately after the launch of Rachel’s Challenge. However, one thing that hasn’t changed, are the social pressures they face outside of school, and on the internet.
THE SUPERINTENDENT: Christine McGrath
Programs like Rachel’s Challenge, and the constant updating of "critical incident" plans across the district consume a larger portion of human, time and financial resources now than they did when McGrath started as superintendent 17 years ago. Yet, she says, the world has changed. Student safety is a priority.
Now that the ground has thawed let’s go on an archaeological dig. What are some of the latest big local discoveries? What do historical artifacts teach us about our past?
Mike emailed us with:
“Is the increase in bulling related to lack of physical activities in school? Would extra gym time or recess help. I remember doing dumb things only to pay by running laps.
Mike”
This very interesting observation came in via email from Christopher:
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“Dear Producer of the show “What’s Behind the Rise in School Violence?”
I listened to quite a bit of the show on Saturday afternoon, Mar 8, 08. There was
a lot of discussion about bullying and I didn’t object to that.
What I did object to was that the show had a glaring omission - there was no
mention of the probable role of psychiatric medications in school violence.
I heard mention of the Lincoln-Sudbury High School stabbing incident and Columbine
in nearly the same breath, but nary a word spoken about a common denominator - that the students had been taking psychiatric drugs.
Bullying has been around for a long time. Mass shootings and mass school shootings
are more of a new phenomenon and they almost always have psychiatric drugs as
one of their factors. Often one of the drugs is an antidepressant.
As early as 1990 Martin Teicher at Harvard noticed some patients on Prozac developed
“intense, violent suicidal preoccupation after 2-7 weeks of fluoxetine treatment. This state
persisted for as little as 3 days to as long as 3 months after discontinuation of fluoxetine.”
Perhaps such obvious reference to psychiatric drugs was omitted because your guests
were mental health professionals. Perhaps discussing such an issue on WBUR is taboo
because big donors would be offended. I do not know. The above is what I suspect. The
companies who make these drugs seem to be able to buy influence with legislators in all
50 states, the federal government and some media. As we recently heard, 94% of doctors
were accepting their gifts, often including lavish honoraria.
I recently heard a show on WBUR promoting the need for mental health screening, this despite
the increased risk of suicide from antidepressants, the increased risk of violence and the
recent revelations from the unearthing of unpublished antidepressant studies, that when
all the tests were viewed as a whole it was revealed that antidepressants work about as well
as placebo.
In general, I appreciate a lot of WBUR’s and NPR’s reporting on national and international
situations and news. It can be much better that other media. However, when it comes to the
causation of violence and suicides in children I think you should not aid and abet, even by
omitting data.
Sincerely,
Christopher L. Garrison”
Mary sends an email saying leadership sets the example:
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“Hi.
I just came in on the conversation @ 15 minutes ago.
Comment: I agree with Bill @ kids imitating adults. How can we expect less violence when as a nation we are a bully: the USA has become the bully of the world by PREEMPTIVELY attacking Iraq.
Mary”