The Catskill Chronicle

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (October 10, 2011) –

· 160,000 children in America skip school every day because they fear being attacked or intimidated by other students

· The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 37% of all students don’t feel safe in their school

· The National Institute of Health reports that 33% of all students in the 6^th to 10^th grades nationwide experienced some kind of bullying at school

Given these startling facts, Sullivan County District Attorney Jim Farrell has started an anti-bullying campaign that focuses on reaching children in our local schools and speaking about the real effects of bullying. “It is a serious problem that we must address now. We all must be engaged – our schools, our teachers, our administrators, our parents, and our law enforcement – to end bullying. I believe strongly that bullying prevention in our schools is crime prevention,” Farrell said.    

In a letter sent to all superintendents and school principals in Sullivan County, Farrell wrote:

“I am writing to you of an issue of great concern that is routinely occurring in our schools and has real effects on the health, well being and education of our children – bullying. This is an issue I, as District Attorney, am taking very seriously. To combat the problem I know that many of you have instituted different programs to prevent and reduce bullying in our schools. “Rachel’s Challenge”, for example, was deployed in a number of school districts in response to this issue. I am also offering my help and support to you and your teaching staff, students and parents to further combat bullying in our schools. 

“I recognize that my responsibility to the community not only involves prosecuting offenders who violate the law but also trying to prevent crime by raising awareness through education of those who we can impact the most – your students. My office is launching an anti-bullying campaign this fall to raise awareness and to educate the various stakeholders about the real dangers of bullying.  We will offer to conduct interactive sessions with students, school staff and parents and make educational presentations that are grade appropriate for your school district. The presentations will last 45 to 50 minutes and will be appropriate for students, staff and parents. 

“My office and I are committed to making our schools safe and a place where education can flourish and combating this problem now, and not waiting until tragedy strikes, is the best way to do just that.  According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, 60% of bullies will have a criminal record before the age of 24. That means that my office will be involved in the prosecution of these kids and I want to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. We must act together to stop this destructive behavior and must all be engaged so that law enforcement does not have to get involved in the prosecution of a senseless tragedy. 

“The recent suicide death of a Western New York teenager who was being bullied highlights the consequences of bullying and his story is only one of many across the country. “Our children deserve to be safe and feel secure in their schools and I believe that through education, awareness and action we can accomplish that goal. We need to teach our children that there are consequences to their actions and we need to engage the largest group in our schools, the bystanders, the witnesses to bullying, to stand up and to say ‘No More!,’” Farrell said.

The presentation explains the facts of bullying, focuses on the impact bullying has on the bullied, gives direction for those who are being bullied and the shows the vital role the bystanders (the witnesses to bullying) can have in ending bullying. Farrell’s presentation also addresses the new issue of cyberbullying. “The response has been tremendous. I am extremely pleased that our schools are serious about this issue and are engaged in preventing and ending bullying,” Farrell said. He has already made interactive presentations to Livingston Manor and Eldred, and has scheduled presentations in Roscoe, Fallsburg, Sullivan West, and Monticello.