The REC Center Leads Online Anti-Bullying CampaignStudents, Parents and Anti-bullying Supporters Wear Orange to Show Support

Recognizing National Bully Awareness day on Oct. 9, Grand Terrace’s The REC Center joined alongside area schools, Farmers Insurance and community parents and students to combat bullying. Students and supporters dressed in orange to show their solidarity against bullying. According to Simple Acts of Care and Kindness (SACK), California is the state that exhibits the most bullying behavior among children (simpleacts.org). Bullying is described by Bullying Statistics as being “a form of intimidation or domination toward someone who is perceived as being weaker” (bullyingstatistics.org). Bullying is most commonly thought of as involving violence or physical force or coercion, but bullying also takes form in verbal abuse and cyber-bullying, via text message, email, in online chat rooms or social media websites. Diana Wehbe, a radio host at 99.1 KGGI radio and a motivational speaker with The Purpose Project, whose volunteers strive to make positive changes in their communities, showed her support for the cause and announced it live on air. Event coordinators estimated some 10,000 people were reached as a result of the event. REC Center founder and Grand Terrace resident Jennifer Araiza said the REC Center led an online event through social media on Facebook, asking anti-bullying supporters to wear orange on Oct. 9. Through the center’s efforts, area schools like Grand Terrace Elementary, Ruth O. Harris Middle School in Bloomington and John W. North High School in Riverside jumped into the participation, she said. “I’ve been very passionate about [anti-bullying] over the past year because of some experiences I’ve had with my own kids [being bullied],” said Araiza. “But actually the request for observing the day came from a parent. She asked if we could do something to make others aware and said her son in high school had been bullied but kept it a secret. I said, ‘Absolutely, that’s something we can focus on.’” Those who wore orange that day and visited the REC Center received anti-bullying bracelets and participants were invited to take photos of themselves in their orange clothing and post them to the REC Center’s National Bully Awareness Day event. Some also shared their bullying stories and shared why they partook in the event. The Bullying Statistics website offers some of these signs to watch for to tell if your child is being bullied: * Becoming withdrawn * Showing fear when it is time to go to school * Increasing signs of depression * Decline in school performance * Speaking of another child with fear * Noticeable decline in how the child sees him or herself * Signs of physical altercations, such as bruises, scrapes and other marks If you notice a decline in your child’s self-confidence or self-image, it may be a sign of cyber or emotional bullying. Signs that your child is bullying another child include: * Viewing violence positively as the solution to most problems * Showing aggression toward adults as well as other children * Needing to dominate others and control situations * Becoming easily frustrated * Showing little sympathy to others who are being bullied, or who are having problems In both of these cases, it can be helpful for parents or guardians of both types of children—those being bullied and those doing the bullying—to reach out to and discuss these issues with school authorities. The Bullying Statistics website offers these tips for helping bullied children feel safer and develop a plan to avoid bullies. * Listen well and be accepting * Let your child know you are on his or her side, and that bullying isn’t their fault * Go together to school authorities to see what can be done in terms of mediation, and in terms of increased attention paid on the school grounds * Encourage the child to avoid the child bully, and seek help from a teacher or trusted adult when necessary * Practice being assertive and asking the bully to leave the child alone * Encourage your child to be with true friends—bullies are less likely to pick on children who are in a group