Friday, November 13, 2015
YOUNGSTOWN
Dismantling the barriers of social isolation can help prevent students from hurting themselves or others, a speaker said at an anti-bullying workshop for educators and mental health and legal professionals.
Paula Fynboh, national field director for Sandy Hook Promise, explained her organization’s “Start with Hello” initiative Friday at the workshop titled “Teen Wars: The Changing Battlefield of Adolescent Bullying and How Adults Can Help.”
The initiative teaches students in grades two through 12 how to reach out to their peers, who may be chronically socially isolated, and give them a sense of connectedness to others in their school or youth group.
The initiative encourages them “to create a culture of kindness and inclusion within their classrooms, their schools and their communities,” Fynboh said.
“Across every school and every community, there are people who feel invisible and alone, and they go through each day suffering,” Fynboh said.
“When people feel like that every day, they can become at greater risk of bullying, depression and violence. And, sometimes, that feeling can feel so bad that it can actually make you physically sick. It can make it really hard to concentrate and learn.”
“We can change that by learning how to reach out and connect,” she said.
Read more about the program in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.