Mazurek encourages anti-bullying at Washington Elementary

By TOM STANKARD

tstankard@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer - To encourage anti-bullying at school, Michigan State Police Trooper Jerry Mazurek visited Washington Elementary in Bessemer.

Early in the afternoon, Mazruek talked to Jonelle France's first grade class.

Mazurek said bullying comes in two different forms -physical and verbal.

To get children involved, Mazurek asked the children to give examples of bullying.

"Pushing somebody," a child said. Mazurek said pushing someone is physical bullying.

Verbal bullying, Mazurek said, is saying words that hurts others' feelings.

"Calling them names or teasing them because they might be taller, shorter, or their hair is a different color is bullying," Mazurek said. "That's what we don't want to do."

Children gave examples of what bullying is not.

"Giving people hugs," a student said.

To elaborate, Mazurek said accidentally bumping someone is not bullying. Then Mazurek said not being friends with everyone isn't bullying.

"That's just not realistic," he said.

Mazurek said there are three parts to bullying - "the person doing the bullying, the victim and the witness."

Mazurek explained the person being picked on is the victim and then asked the children how it feels to be bullied.

"Sad," a child said.

Mazurek explained what to do. The police trooper said to put hands up and say "stop."

"That's important because the person knows not to do that," he said. "When your hands go up in the air, you tell anyone in the area that something's not right."

After telling the person bullying to stop, Mazurek said to "walk away and tell a grown-up."

If a student witnesses bullying, Mazurek said it's important to tell the bully to stop.

"You don't have to be mean or nasty, just say 'that's not cool, you need to stop, we don't do that in our school,'" Mazurek said.

After his speech, Mazurek said the school is taking an "anti-bullying pledge."

He instructed students to sign pledge sheets, have their parents sign it, "decorate it however they want," and bring it back.

"By signing this, I'm saying 'I will not bully, I will help other people who are being bullied, I will include students who are left out and I will report any bullying that I know about or see happen,'" Mazurek said as he read the pledge.