Ocean County Prosecutor's Office shares anti-bullying message with Memorial Middle School Students

Anyone over the age of 12 on April 20, 1999 is unlikely to ever forget the news images and video of scared and injured students fleeing Columbine High School as two disaffected teenagers opened fire on their classmates and teachers in what would become the deadliest massacre to ever take place at an American high school.

When a tragedy of this magnitude occurs, the most common question is, why? What would drive two seniors nearing the end of high school to do this?

According to an analysis of 37 school shootings, conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, a major contributing factor cited in more than two-thirds of the attacks, was bullying.

That sobering statistic is just one of the reasons that the Point Pleasant Borough School District has launched a full-scale anti-bullying and anti-school violence initiative. The district-wide initiative is supported through strategic outreaches coupled with strong character education.

Memorial Middle School followed up a recent assembly about school violence and bullying by the Millville organization Steered Straight with a visit from Ocean County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Anthony Pierro. Mr. Pierro, who is also the supervisor of the prosecutor's juvenile division, spoke to each grade during a series of 45-minute presentations held at the school last week. 

"Bullying hurts us all," said Mr. Pierro. "Even if you aren't the bully, the victim, or a witness, bullying affects you."

To illustrate this point, Mr. Pierro played the audio of a 911 call made from the library of Columbine High School where the majority of killings took place.

"You [the students] are the only ones that can stop bullying," said Mr. Pierro. "Tell someone! By telling a trusted adult, you can diffuse the situation and effectively take the control of the situation."

Mr. Pierro then shared results of a study conducted over the past 60 years.

"In the 1950's, the most serious issue affecting schools, according to students, was chewing gum," he said. "In the 80's students cited fighting as their biggest concern. In the 2000's, the students indicated that fear of being killed in school was their biggest issue."

As these concerns have evolved over the past 60 years, so too has the school climate. Technological advancements have changed the face of bullying and its role in school violence.

"The accessibility of technology has simplified bullying and has created an environment that allows constant harassment through text messaging, social networking, and email," said Mr. Pierro. "The good news," said Mr. Pierro, "is that while technology has opened new arenas for bullying, from a legal perspective, it makes tracking these crimes easier."

And thanks to new legislation, bullying is a crime, with very serious consequences.

Because young people can often not comprehend consequences to impulsive actions, Mr. Pierro explained some legal statistics affecting bullies.
"Bullies are four times more likely to have a criminal conviction by the age of 24," he said. "Sixty percent of bullies have at least one adult conviction and 40 percent have three or more convictions by the age of 24."

Perhaps more difficult to convert to statistics, though, is the emotional toll bullying takes on victims.

"It is a fact that victims of bullying suffer from depression," said Mr. Pierro. "This depression can lead students to take extreme actions including drug use, violent outbursts and suicide."

Mr. Pierro then played a video clip portraying students who have committed suicide due to bullying.

"Bullying and more specifically cyberbullying has garnered national attention following several recent incidents," said Memorial Middle School Principal Gary Floyd. "The existence of cyberbullying has changed the vernacular of bullying as new words and phrases are created to reflect a new era of cruelty."

Mr. Floyd explained that cyberbullying, or online harassment, has led to cyber mobbing, or copycat cyberbullying, and bullycide, or suicide due to bullying.

"It is imperative that lessons about bullying keep pace with technological innovations," said Mr. Floyd. "Our students are at a critical point in their lives. The onset of the teenage years can lead to a situation where the pressure to 'fit in' can be staggering," he said. "We must make frequent, repetitive communication with students and encourage them to pause in their actions and anticipate consequences."

"Students today are faced with many complex issues from school violence to gangs and drugs," said Superintendent of Schools Vincent S. Smith. "Television, video games and the media have desensitized our collective conscious to the point where these things are accepted as resigned fact," he said.

"It is crucial for educators and parents to stand together and teach today's young people that these behaviors are unacceptable."