Children learn to be anti-bullies

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  For the past month, Crawford Elementary School participated in International Stand-Up to Bullying month with various activities and lessons.

Base and local community members participated by helping teach the anti-bullying message.

"I've worked in the secondary sector and have seen the long-term effects of what could happen with bullying, so I figure if we address it while they're young they know they have someone to talk to," said Clarice Mingo, Crawford Elementary School principal.

Youth were involved in a multitude of activities to help them learn the message of anti-bullying. There were different lessons to help them understand that as a bystander they can play an important role and as a victim they have many people around them that can help them.

To better reach the students, lessons were taught in different age groups with activities and messages they could relate to.

Students also separated into small groups to talk about the topic and listen to various scenarios that provided them with what they could do in the different situations.

According to Mingo, children were able to share their experiences in these groups and get their personal questions answered.

Other activities included a game of jeopardy with questions about bullying, and making a quilt out of hand-shaped cut-outs. At the end of the month the school hosted an assembly which included different guest speakers and songs performed by students.

Tech. Sgt. Thomas Hall, Clear Air Station 213th Space Warning Squadron NCO-in charge of Security Forces resources, was the guest speaker for a 5th grade class. He used an interactive Drug Abuse Resistance Education class that challenged the kids with questions and word searches to teach the information.

The overall theme was that bullying can be prevented or stopped, whether it's verbal, physical, emotional or involves social media.

"Everyone has been real receptive, it seemed like the kids were empowered," said Mingo. "This was an environment that some of the kids felt comfortable enough to share their experiences and raise any questions they had and realize this is a very real situation -- an eye-opener for the kids."

By teaching the students of Crawford Elementary about what they can do to stop bullying, teachers, guest speakers and the principal have empowered them to confront this issue head-on.