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BY AZURE COLLIER
Times Staff Writer | Monday, August 25, 2003 | (No comments posted.)
VALPARAISO -- Bullying is a more widespread problem than people think, according to teacher Denise Koebcke.
At a training session last week for a new anti-bullying program, a Valparaiso High School student asked the crowd of students, teachers and administrators if they've ever experienced bullying.
Nearly everyone in the Thomas Jefferson Middle School auditorium raised their hands.
"I think all of us here have a story ... where some group excluded us, when they were mean to us and gossiped about us. All of us remember that and it's become a part of who we are," said Koebcke, a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
More than 200 people were in training last week at TJ for the Creating A Safe Social Climate In Our Schools, or CASS, program being introduced into the Valparaiso Community Schools. Valparaiso is one of several school districts nationally that are implementing the program. The goal of CASS is to change the social climate of schools, beginning at the sixth-grade level. CASS was developed by Susan Wellman. Wellman is one of the founders of the Ophelia Project, a national effort to counteract society's negative effects on girls.
CASS is an intervention program and focuses on relational aggression, bullying, gossip, rumors and physical aggression. The program uses high school students as mentors to sixth-grade students. The older students will present training sessions on relational aggression, "adopt" homerooms and work with them each month over the year, and use tools like role playing, skits and small group discussion. Teachers, parents, administrators and community members are also trained in the CASS philosophy.
Funding was obtained for CASS through Safe and Drug Free Schools grants and other grants. The program will run throughout the school year and includes an evaluation conducted through anonymous surveys given to the sixth-grade students.
The program came to Valparaiso schools last school year after seventh-graders sought advice from Koebcke about some bullying problems that were going on in school. Koebcke researched programs on bullying and found Wellman and the Ophelia Project. Wellman came to school and conducted a workshop for students and parents.
"The result was amazing," Koebcke said. "There were never any kids sitting alone at lunch. The kids wanted us to teach everyone about the program ... When we saw the results and how much the kids bought into it, we raised money to bring in CASS."
Those participating in training last week say they really believe in CASS.
"Our point that we're trying to bring to light is that a lot of this happens quietly under the radar. Kids are good at (bullying) when there's not a lot of adults around," said Denice Scott, a Ben Franklin Middle School teacher, who was training for the program this week.
Scott helped a group of high school students develop skits for groups of boys and girls that they'll present this year. The skit presentations are given by gender because girls bully through relational aggression and boys use verbal or physical aggression.
"Because we're in high school, we remember this stuff like it was yesterday and these are things that impact our lives," said Katie Fooness, 16, who plays a girl alienated within her social group.
Lindsay Gough, 17, plays the bully.
"It's really fun and it's really interesting because I'm not a bully ... I had a lot of problems in middle school with not getting along with girls and being excluded," she said.
Several of the high school students who are participating in CASS said they often hear from middle school-aged siblings about bullying. It continues on to high school.
"I think our skit shows what we're experiencing every day," said Chris Wrobel, 16, who worked with Richard Scuderi, 16, and Nick Kovachevich, 17. The three came up with a common scenario -- a guy doesn't make the basketball team, and his friends tease him. The teasing is harmless at first, but escalates and hurts the student.
"We're trying to stop the small stuff that leads to other things, like school shootings," said Scuderi, 16.
Azure Collier can be reached at acollier@nwitimes.com or (219) 462-5151, ext. 353.
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