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Edison State students and members of the audience raise their hands to
indicate they had been victims
of bullying during their lives. Edison
State team at the Greenville Public Library, left to right:
Christopher
Bucklew, Baylee Petry, Renee Netzley, Hope Byrum and Dawn Cleere.
See additional photos of presentations below.
Edison
State DCC students take anti-bullying message to schools, community
“Bullying is about power,” said students from Edison State Community
College, Darke County Campus. The bully uses superior strength or other
forms of power to intimidate or threaten someone who is, or appears to
be, weaker. “Take the power away,” they said. “Don’t participate. Walk
away. Tell an adult.”
Thirty-six Edison State Fundamentals of Communication students from the
Darke County Campus – composing eight teams - went off campus with
their final speech presentation in December. They talked to Greenville
Middle School students, Ansonia Elementary students, and adults, many
with children, at Greenville Public Library. Their message went to
nearly 400 students, while the library presentation was open to the
public. It is on the library’s Facebook page, having received nearly
350 views.
The primary message to students was do not participate. If someone
tries to bully you, walk away and tell an adult. The same message
applies to “bystanders,” students who may see someone being bullied.
Get involved, but don’t participate; tell an adult.
“Adults can be bullied, too,” said the Edison State students at the
library. “Walk away. Don’t participate.” If it keeps up, they added,
talk to a trusted friend or get the authorities involved.
The students talked about the four different types of bullying –
physical, verbal, cyber and exclusion – and the impact it can have on
the victims. It can result in depression, withdrawal, skipping school,
or in some cases, even thoughts of suicide. While research indicated
one in three students acknowledged being bullied, a show of hands
during presentations indicated as many as four out of five had been
victims of bullying. According to many sources, the problem reaches
epidemic proportions.
“The students did the presentations for a grade,” said instructor Bob
Robinson. “Teachers had the option of giving a low rating of one, to a
high rating of five. All noted areas where student presentations could
have been improved, while giving ratings of 4.5 and 5.”
Edison State communications students have a required off-campus team
presentation using the skills they have been learning each semester. In
the fall the topic is bullying. In the spring it is drug abuse, and in
the summer it is literacy.
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