West Rehoboth students learn to stand up to bullies
Ashanté Custis may be only 10 years old, but the Rehoboth Elementary School student is not too young to take action when she sees someone getting bullied.
“When I was in school, I helped this little girl that was getting bullied by two little girls that were in fifth grade. She was getting pushed and punched. I went to go tell the principal and she gave me an award for that,” Ashanti said.
Lerah Boyer, 14, and Kody Crowley, 11, had similar stories.
“In school, when I see someone get bullied, I report it. One day, this girl was getting bullied, and I helped her. She was bashful; she didn’t really fit in,” she said.
Kody said he had to step in and break up a fight when a fellow student was getting bullied. He said he was surprised bullying is as bad as it is, particularly online.
Ashanti, Kody and Lerah are among the students in West Side New Beginnings' after school anti-bullying and conflict resolution program, dedicated to teaching kids how to spot and prevent bullying, both in school and online.
West Side New Beginnings program director Diaz Bonville said, “It’s equipping our children to make the right choices. Life is very difficult for our young people today, so we want to make sure they are exposed to as many positive venues as possible.”
Brenda Milbourne, executive director of West Side, said the program serves as a learning tool the students can pass down to younger children.
“Hopefully we can continue to show our children that you don’t have to be a bully. You don’t have to go around and get involved in conflicts. That you can make healthy choices. We ask them to dream, to dream big,” Bonville said.
Attorney General Joseph “Beau” Biden III came to West Rehoboth May 7 to see the results of the program and to play the role of waiter as the children ate dinner after class.
Biden discussed not only in-person bullying in the hallways of schools and on playgrounds, but online bullying. He said people use tools like Facebook and Twitter and phone applications such as Instagram and Snapchat, a program that allows users to take a picture that can be viewed for up to 10 seconds before it is deleted. Biden said Snapchat has allowed bullies to wipe away the record of their bullying. He said when online, kids should communicate with real friends.
“When you talk to someone online, make sure you only do that with people you know,” Biden said. “A friend of a friend of a friend is not your friend.”
He also encouraged students to take a proactive approach to reporting bullying.
“The way we stop bullying is making the bully, and the spirit of the bully, know that it is not going to be tolerated in your house. You are not going to accept it. When you see someone being bullied, make sure you sit next to that kid. Make sure you protect that kid. Let an adult that you trust know that this kid is being bullied,” Biden said.
The anti-bullying program was paid for with a $41,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, and overseen by Delaware Criminal Justice Council, an independent state body that works to reduce crime. Bonville said the program was designed to last three years, but he hopes additional funding can be secured to continue the program beyond three years.
“Our board of directors was very proud of this program. It’s fun watching the kids grow up,” council Deputy Director Chris Kervick said.
While the kids listened to Biden’s message, they also wanted the lowdown on the attorney general’s father, Vice President Joe Biden.
Kody asked, “How’s your dad?”
When Biden asked if it was OK for him to come back to see the kids again, another youngster asked, “Can you bring your dad and Mr. Obama?”
