Shelby County Schools leaders are bringing awareness to bullying on this Unity Day.
At least one in five school kids say they’ve been bullied.
“Just because they’re different from you doesn’t mean anything,” says Craigmont 8th grader Malia Lambert.
“Everybody deserves the same amount of respect,” says Craigmont 8th grader Ashton Smith.
Staff and students at Craigmont Middle School are getting a handle on harassment. Decked out in orange and holding an all-school rally, they’re bringing awareness to bullying on Unity Day.
“It helps the students to have an interactive session to see how it affects others, what the consequences are,” says Craigmont Middle principal LaTrenda Hicks.
Shelby County Schools has a zero tolerance policy against bullying. Students are encouraged to tell an adult if they’re being bullied or if they witness someone being bullied. At Craigmont Middle, parents, teachers, and counselors are brought in to address the issue and help everyone move forward, including the bully.
“What they’re doing is acting out,” says Hicks. “They’re actually reaching out for help.”
Experts say bullying doesn’t just tear a person down physically, it can go much deeper.
“It probably hurts the most mentally because you have someone that you probably don’t even know or you’ve known for years just come at you for no reason,” says Malia.
“Whatever they have on the outside shouldn’t matter. It should be more of an inside type feeling,” says Ashton.
