Anti-Bullying Program

RMS, like so many middle schools across the country, is struggling to combat widespread bullying behaviors. Many would like to think bullying is not prevalent in our community but we are not at all immune. One critical element in bullying prevention is the education of staff.

The latest research states that to successfully combat bullying behaviors all adults involved in the lives of children need to work in concert with one another. As parents, none of us want to believe that our children are capable of consciously harming another. Perhaps that's the first and foremost important obstacle: taking a step back and turning an objective eye and ear to what's truly happening with, or to our children. Students exhibiting bullying behaviors absolutely need to hear from every caring adult in their lives that bullying behaviors are dangerous beyond common understanding, and simply wrong.

Understanding that students will not report unless they feel safe, RMS teachers have volunteered as mentors to students. Our hope is to increase the number of students who feel connected to the school via staff members. And thus, from those relationships open and honest discussions might lead to an increased awareness of what is truly happening here at RMS.

Regularly scheduled anti-bullying lessons students offer insight into bullying trends at RMS. Counselors, Health and Physical Education Teachers, and Administrators team up to work with groups of students to learn what the bullying looks like year-to-year and where it's taking place. Strategies to combat bullying behaviors are discussed, and sometimes practiced via role-play.

These lessons are often powerful in that those students seen as most reserved and quiet are prone to open up and offer perspectives previously unknown. Many lessons teach students to appreciate differences and encourage them to take an active role in positively impacting our school culture.

The lessons used to be stand-alones, but are now embedded with the PE/Health lessons each semester.

Anti-bullying messages are also embedded into RMS curricula. For example, the 6th grade technology classes research bullying and create power point presentations for their peers. Also in the 6th grade, the counselors discuss bullying as a part of the students exploratory cycle within the school counseling unit. Freak the Mighty has been used as a 6th grade read-aloud book in which bullying is also a major theme. In some 7th grade Language Arts classes, students read The Misfits, a novel that depicts bullying in a middle school setting. The 7th grade also features The Outsiders which details the struggles created by stereotypes, intolerance for differences, and the absence of positive adult influence

Some worthwhile assembly programs brought to RMS include motivational productions and speakers like Michael Fowlin, Matthew Ballace, John Halligan*, Dr. Justin Patchin, and Jordan Burnham.

All of these presentations and programs have messages which encourage tolerance and making positive healthy choices.

*Mr. John Halligan visits RMS to share the story of his son Ryan, a young man who, while a middle school student, took his own life as a result of relentless bullying. Mr. Halligan has been invited to RMS on a four-year cycle rotation to introduce his son’s story and programming to a new group of students.

Each year counselors and administrators meet with students by team at each grade level to deliver a strong and consistent message. Charts that help define specific bullying behaviors, and consequences associated with those behaviors are shared and discussed. We also use this time to remind students of the various ways they can report bullying behaviors. Three locked boxes strategically placed throughout the building are designated as collection points for bullying reporting forms (and SAP referral forms as well). The boxes are emptied frequently and the bullying reporting forms are processed by grade level administrators. Students can report anonymously if they choose.