The Herkimer County Youth Violence Prevention Committee has worked
with its partners to create prevention services, promote character
education, raise awareness about youth violence and bullying and
provide information and resources for youth and adults.
Raising Awareness: Radio and TV Public Service Announcements
The
Youth Violence Prevention Committee has developed Public Service
Announcements to get the message out to youth, parents, and the
community that bullying and youth violence are serious issues that
require attention.
With
the assistance of the students in the Radio and Television Production
Class at Herkimer County Community College, four Public Service
Announcements (two television and two radio) have been created to
address bullying and youth violence prevention.
Two
television Public Service Announcements, created by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services for its “Stop Bullying Now” Campaign, have
been used as part of this initiative. These announcements address the
need for adults to intervene when they suspect that bullying is
occurring.
A radio Public Service Announcement from “See It and Stop It” has been used to raise awareness about teen dating abuse.
The
TV and radio Public Service Announcements were aired on local media
outlets and Time Warner Cable networks in the spring and fall of 2005.
In
2006, one new local television Public Service Announcement has been
created. With the assistance of Herkimer BOCES, Dolgeville Elementary
School and elementary students from across Herkimer County, an
Anti-Bullying Commercial has been developed for a late-elementary
school audience.
This Public Service Announcement will
air in the spring and fall of 2006. Plans are underway to create a new
commercial in 2007 to deal with the issue of girl bulling.
Bullying Prevention: The “Bully-Proofing Your School” Program
“Bully
Proofing Your School” is a school-wide intervention designed to reduce
bullying behaviors in schools and to increase students' sense of safety
at school. The “Bully Proofing Your School” Program targets students in
kindergarten through eighth grade and contains three major components:
(1) heightened awareness of the problem of bullying, involving a
questionnaire to assess the extent of bullying in a school and the
creation of classroom expectations and rules regarding no tolerance for
bullying; (2) teaching protective skills for dealing with bullying and
resistance to victimization, such as getting help, asserting
themselves, using humor, avoiding the bullies, engaging in positive
self-talk, and owning the put-down (agreeing with the bully); and (3)
creation of a positive school climate through promotion of a "caring
majority" in the school which works to alter the behavior of bystanders.
The
acclaimed Bully-Proofing Your School Program has been shown to increase
students' sense of safety, and decrease physical, verbal and
exclusionary bullying. In addition, it was honorably selected as a
favorable program for preventing bullying school wide by the Center for
the Study and Prevention of Violence out of the University of Colorado
at Boulder.
The
Bully-Proofing Your School Program was selected by the
Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Safety Office as an effective program to
help deal with bullying behaviors in schools. Thirty school
representatives from Herkimer, Oneida and Madison counties completed
training in the Bully-Proofing Your Schools Program in April 2005. This
training was facilitated by Creating Caring Communities and funded by
Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES and the Utica National Insurance Group.
This core group of trained individuals has been responsible for the
training of all interested school districts across the tri-county
region.
With
the help of agencies and community organizations that sponsor the Youth
Violence Prevention Initiative, Herkimer County School Districts will
receive funding to support the implementation of the “Bully-Proofing
Your School” Program in the 2005/2006 school year and beyond.
For more information about the “Bully Proofing Your School” Program, go to www.creatingcaringcommunities.org .
Promoting Character-Education: Motivational Media Assemblies
Motivational
Media Assemblies deliver high-impact multi media assembly presentations
for elementary, middle, and high school students. These productions use
movie clips, music videos and sports footage to promote
decision-making, conflict resolution, drug prevention and personal
excellence.
With
funding from the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, all schools in
Herkimer County had the opportunity to hold one of these assemblies for
their students during the 2005/2006 school year. Due to the
overwhelming response from teachers and students alike, plans are
underway to fund these assemblies during the 2007/2008 school year.
For more information about these assemblies, go to www.motivationalmedia.org.
Teen Dating Violence: Awareness and Information
On
October 6, 2005, Sgt. Lisa Parlato, Domestic Violence Investigative
Coordinator from the New York State Police, provided a community
education program at Herkimer County Community College to help address
youth dating violence. She discussed the warning signs of
an abusive relationship, safety planning, and how parents and community
members can help someone who is in an abusive relationship.
On
October 18, 2005 the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative sponsored a
presentation of “The Yellow Dress” at Herkimer County Community
College. This one-woman play helped attendees identify the warning
signs of abusive behaviors, learn how to help friends and family
members, and help develop an awareness of the issue of dating and
domestic violence. The play stimulated thought-provoking discussion
about safe and healthy relationships-a topic important to everyone. The
YWCA Rape Crisis Program facilitated this discussion.
Over
120 people attended this event. Due to the overwhelming response from
students and the community, plans are underway to bring this play to
HCCC and various high schools across Herkimer County in 2007.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Each
year, the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program organizes many
different activities to raise awareness, and works with the Youth
Violence Prevention Initiative to address the issue of teen dating
violence. Plans are underway to provide additional educational events
in the schools in 2006 and 2007.
Providing Information and Resources: The Youth Violence Prevention Web Site
If
you are reading this, you are aware we have a website!! This website
includes detailed information about the Herkimer County Youth Violence
Prevention Initiative, a collection of information, resources and web
links on bullying and youth violence prevention and information on
local resources that are available to help address these issues. Our
public service announcements are also available for viewing. There is
something for everyone - youth, parents and community members.
Next Steps: 2006 and Beyond
The
Youth Violence Prevention Committee believes that the activities and
initiatives listed above have helped to reduce the incidence of
bullying and youth violence in Herkimer County. But more needs to be
done.
On September 6, 2006 the Youth Violence
Prevention Committee and Herkimer High School will host a presentation
by Dr. Michele Borba, an internationally renowned educator and
award-winning author. Dr. Borba will speak to educators, law
enforcement, human service professionals and county leaders about ways
to promote the positive character development of youth, and how to
avoid negative behaviors such as bullying and violence.
This presentation will help the Youth Violence Prevention Committee develop a course of action for 2007 and beyond.
