According to i-SAFE, a nonprofit Internet safety foundation, teens in grades six through 10 are most likely to be involved in activities related to bullying. About 30% of students in the U.S. are regularly involved in bullying, either as a target, a bully or both. Recent school bullying statistics show that cyberbullying is prevalent on school property, and also involves students when they are not at school. “Bullycide,” referring to the tragedy of students who kill themselves in the face of excessive persecution by peers, is becoming common.

With the number of children affected by bullying increasing throughout the country, schools are looking for effective strategies to stop it. Students at Northmont City’s Northmont High School have taken a unique approach to address this critical school safety issue. Under the direction of counselor Sheree Coffman and teacher Matt Maiken, the Northmont Peer Facilitator program trains students to become effective mediators.

Available during the school day, Peer Facilitators help fellow students resolve personal issues by addressing emotional turmoil and forming problem-solving relationships. For several years, Peer Facilitators have chosen another mission — anti-bullying. They have taken this message to the Northmont elementary schools.

Peer Facilitators worked for several weeks to write, direct, rehearse and present original skits to address bullying in school. Last school year, the two skits were “Bullying in Physical Education Class” and “Bullying in Cyberspace.” These skits were presented to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students in the district’s elementary schools.

Each skit creatively demonstrated the four primary components of bullying: the bully, the bystanders, the agitators and the target (victim). Students were presented with “KEY,” a pragmatic strategy to address bullying situations:

   •  Keep telling an adult until someone listens.

   •  Exit the bullying situation, if possible.

   •  You are not alone.

Too often, targets of bullying feel helpless, humiliated and isolated. A narrator, playing the role of the “locksmith,” handed out keys to “unlock the problem of bullying.” The acronym “KEY” was developed by the Peer Facilitators as a helpful reminder of how to face a bully.

After performing the skits, Peer Facilitators held small group discussions to reinforce the message and answer questions. Judging from the elementary students’ ongoing discussions the following day, the message came through loud and clear: “Remember: Bullying is the lock and you are the KEY.”