ROGERS — Bullies rely on reactions to know their taunts have sting.
That was the message Tuesday at Heritage High School.
Bullying hurts, said ninth-grader Logen Peterson. He’s always been shorter than other students and said he was knocked down in a confrontation earlier this year at the school.
“I was a wreck for many days,” Logen said.
After an anti-bullying presentation Tuesday, Logen said he felt better about his situation.
“No matter how big or small, everybody could be bullied,” Logen said.
At A Glance
Legal Definition
Bullying is against Arkansas law. Bullying can include harassment, intimidation, humiliation, ridicule, defamation or threat or incitement of violence, according to the law. Disrupting or interfering with a child’s education, creating a hostile environment or physically harming a child also constitutes bullying.
Schools are charged with prohibiting bullying in school and school events, and electronic bullying that involves students or school personnel.
Source: Arkansas Code 6-18-514
Bullying situations involve a circle of people beyond the ringleader and their target, said Adam O’Connor, chief instructor at ATA Martial Arts in Bentonville and Fayetteville. Forwarding a text or “liking” a Facebook status drags an onlooker into the circle.
Everything is traceable in the digital age, he said, urging students not to reply to angry texts and call a service provider to block them.
“When you send a picture or a text it’s not gone,” O’Connor said.
In a face-to-face situation students can try to break tension by calling out to a friend who is in trouble, O’Connor said.
Attitudes conveyed by posture and physical presence can make a difference in a bullying situation, he said. Taking a breath, stepping back and making eye contact with someone who is making insults can change the make up of the situation, O’Connor told students.
Bullying has a cost, and it will not be tolerated, said Kelley Pearson, school resource officer. She estimated 80 percent of her responsibilities involve bullying and most of that begins online through Facebook, texting or Twitter. Her question to students is what would they think if someone treated their younger brother or sister, parents or boyfriend or girlfriend the way they are treating others?
“They don’t realize what kind of damage they can do,” Pearson said.
Students with low self-esteem can drop out of school or even attempt suicide as a result of bullying.
All students at Heritage rotated through Tuesday’s presentation. Next week, counselors will reinforce anti-bullying ideas with students, said Principal Karen Steen.
Heritage is bigger than many small cities, Steen said. Every year the school has cases of bullying, but training allows the school to be proactive in its approach.
“Part of growing up is learning how to deal with each other,” Steen said.