Prevention of bullying and harassment has been a hot topic in education. Recently, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES students were given an opportunity to explore the issue as part of a presentation by Pivot.
Juniors within the CTE program at the Charles H. Bohlen, Jr. Technical Center were given an outline as to what constitutes harassment, including bullying, stalking and sexual harassment. Kyle Chartrand of Pivot says it gives students a bigger picture of the topic, adding students may be aware of it but don’t exactly know what it is.
The presentation included the outlining of several different scenarios to gauge thoughts on whether the action was a form of bullying and harassment. Students were also offered tips on what to do to put an end to harassment that they witness, especially the bullying of others. The topic of social media was also discussed as students were reminded that once something is posted, it’s out there forever for the world to see.
Ultimately, the main theme of the presentation was that we as individuals are responsible for our own behavior and that each of us has a responsibility to treat others with respect.
Ashlie Willis, a Medical Careers student from Lyme, says she learned that harassment is “not gender specific,” and that “anything you do can came back on you later in life.”
“People often ignore it when it happens,” says Kelly Flanigan-Hall of Pivot. “By learning how to take care of it, it empowers you to help other people.”