Time transcripts of NIOT_Lancaster_California [00:00:00.00] [00:00:06.46] -'KMIX 106.3 coming up next, Not In Our Town.' [00:00:10.42] 'Man, you're going to want to hear this Antelope Valley.' [00:00:12.50] narrator: In 20 schools across the Antelope Valley [00:00:15.44] in California, 35,000 students came together [00:00:19.61] to address the devastation caused by bullying. [00:00:21.77] [00:00:22.88] There's something that's going on [00:00:24.34] there's a trend that's happening [00:00:25.57] kids getting bullied and then kids committing suicide. [00:00:28.35] This is really serious [00:00:29.61] the solution is happening in town [00:00:31.68] tell us about your perspective. [00:00:33.72] Well the first thing we're doing is trying to raise awareness [00:00:35.95] and help the children understand what bullying is. [00:00:38.99] narrator: Lauri Massari a local middle school counselor [00:00:41.60] started an anti-bullying program at her school [00:00:44.61] then spread the word to the entire community. [00:00:47.21] [00:00:48.27] Too many of us are not stepping up for others [00:00:50.83] we're being bystanders when we really need to be activists. [00:00:53.68] -knees up, knees up, knees up. [00:00:56.28] Our intent is to bring together the school districts [00:00:58.92] along with community leaders, [00:01:00.64] business leaders, [00:01:02.05] to try as a community, say this is just plain not acceptable behavior. [00:01:06.23] [00:01:10.63] We had two suicides that happened within 50 miles [00:01:14.13] of our school and our town. [00:01:18.27] When something like this happens so close to your own community [00:01:23.08] it's a wake up call. [00:01:24.95] And you realize that this could happen to any one of us. [00:01:28.67] And we've got to do something a little bit more [00:01:31.35] because apparently what we're doing isn't working, [00:01:34.56] isn't enough. [00:01:36.11] [00:01:40.09] narrator: Suicide is a rare reaction to bullying. [00:01:43.08] But it has opened an urgent debate [00:01:45.03] about the role school leaders play [00:01:46.79] in keeping students safe. [00:01:48.46] [00:01:49.30] This district launched an anti-bullying program [00:01:51.37] and students took the lead [00:01:52.67] in setting up activities during the week of action. [00:01:55.08] [00:01:56.31] Today here at Lancaster High School [00:01:58.12] we invited students [00:01:59.74] to come on up on the stage [00:02:01.02] and go ahead and sign this pledge. [00:02:02.81] To say that we're done with all this bullying [00:02:05.84] and we're really trying to make a change. [00:02:07.11] [00:02:10.61] narrator: To help them understand the deep harm [00:02:13.65] caused by bullying [00:02:15.18] the students read personal stories about kids [00:02:17.65] who were tormented by their classmates. [00:02:21.00] There was this one where [00:02:22.09] it was this football player, his name was Jeremiah [00:02:23.73] and my name is Jeremiah. [00:02:25.20] and he was a big dude and just because [00:02:27.57] he was a little bit slower at learning than everybody else [00:02:29.71] they picked on him and bullied him [00:02:31.04] and I'm a little bit slower at learning [00:02:32.73] than everybody else so I kinda know what [00:02:35.38] what he was going through [00:02:36.41] because I used to be bullied for that, so, yeah. [00:02:40.59] I used to have a gay friend in fifth grade [00:02:42.99] and um, he used to get teased a lot [00:02:45.69] and that kinda like struck me because he got teased too much. [00:02:50.55] Like, um, some people will say [00:02:53.09] 'oh that chick's really ugly' [00:02:54.36] and you take it and think that's real [00:02:57.77] that you really are ugly and it's just horrible. [00:03:00.63] [00:03:06.84] I was the bullied, um, in fifth grade. [00:03:09.72] [00:03:11.60] I had a lot of trouble that year. [00:03:13.38] My grades weren't that great. [00:03:14.65] I just couldn't stand it. [00:03:17.11] I didn't enjoy my life, I hated it [00:03:18.69] I felt like I didn't even want to be here [00:03:20.85] I didn't want to be in this world. [00:03:22.36] [00:03:27.93] As a counselor I'm the person who has to [00:03:29.85] look into the eyes of a child [00:03:31.54] who comes in and is afraid to come to school. [00:03:34.56] I'm the person who the mothers will call and say [00:03:37.26] 'can you help me get my child out of the car [00:03:39.37] he's afraid to come to school.' [00:03:40.94] [00:03:45.01] You can't work with children on a day-to-day basis [00:03:47.44] like this and see their fear [00:03:50.58] and not be compelled to do something about it. [00:03:53.48] [00:04:02.39] How many of you feel that [00:04:05.63] people bully because they're lower and [00:04:08.07] they're trying to bring themselves up? [00:04:10.46] Any of you see the bully that way? [00:04:13.28] I am not the typical bully. [00:04:18.54] Most people threaten, push [00:04:22.35] I guess I technically just bring people down [00:04:26.69] like, their feelings. [00:04:29.09] Ok, have any of your lives [00:04:31.84] or your existence at school [00:04:34.69] has it changed since we started doing this? [00:04:38.17] The phrase 'Not in Our School' means a lot more now [00:04:40.57] because sometimes people will be like [00:04:42.31] bullying some other people [00:04:43.78] and the people around them will be like [00:04:45.06] 'Not in Our School, Not in Our School' [00:04:46.54] and they'll just be like...what? [00:04:48.81] And then they'll just stop. [00:04:51.04] The phrase has really helped out a lot. [00:04:52.14] -yeah the phrase stuck didn't it. [00:04:53.94] [00:04:55.54] Going through this program it changed me [00:04:57.02] it made me stronger mentally. [00:05:00.75] Now I know how to handle bullying [00:05:02.19] and I know how to handle it when somebody [00:05:03.70] is getting bullied. [00:05:04.89] And how to deal with the person, [00:05:06.07] how to tell them to stop, and go tell somebody about it. [00:05:08.72] [00:05:10.59] We emphasize the impact of peer power [00:05:14.67] versus peer pressure. [00:05:17.10] You have a power and an impact on other students [00:05:19.74] but if you use it positively [00:05:21.81] you can have a tremendous impact in the community. [00:05:25.54] [00:05:27.74] narrator: Vincent became a leader. [00:05:29.71] He and his classmates took their mission [00:05:31.53] to a local elementary school [00:05:33.39] where they did role playing with the students. [00:05:36.52] 'You're a loser, you don't have any friends.' [00:05:40.29] 'Hey just leave her alone and stop bugging her.' [00:05:43.14] 'You need to stop being mean.' [00:05:46.73] -Good job, that was good. [00:05:48.03] [ clapping ] [00:05:52.94] narrator: The students also helped educate their own teachers [00:05:55.55] about where bullying takes place [00:05:57.67] and what to do about it. [00:05:59.45] 'There's not a lot everywhere, but [00:06:01.64] the most there is, is the locker rooms [00:06:03.52] and on the field.' [00:06:04.86] 'Can you give us an example of what [00:06:06.22] you'd like, um, to see from the teachers?' [00:06:08.85] 'If like, Miss Hagar and Mr. Elder, if you guys could [00:06:12.12] try to walk through and then if you see something wrong [00:06:15.04] just stop it right away.' [00:06:16.88] [00:06:26.37] Prior to the implementation of the anti-bullying program [00:06:29.61] 62 percent of the students indicated that [00:06:32.38] they felt safe at school. [00:06:34.46] A survey taken subsequently [00:06:36.24] showed 92 percent of the kids felt safe at school. [00:06:39.68] [00:06:49.81] narrator: On the last day of the week of action [00:06:51.80] students gathered in a circle of silence [00:06:54.28] and vowed to no longer be bystanders [00:06:56.80] but to take action in the future. [00:06:59.74] From this point forward we will break our silence [00:07:03.08] and stand up and we will say 'Not in Our Town.' [00:07:06.45] [whole group shouting] 'Not In Our Town.' [00:07:09.81] [ cheering and clapping ] [00:07:13.72] [00:07:20.90] narrator: The positive results of the anti-bullying program [00:07:24.79] inspired the mayor to get the whole [00:07:26.84] community involved. [00:07:29.20] A lot of businesses put money towards the program [00:07:31.88] so that they could build this program up. [00:07:34.07] So we have to stand together as a community [00:07:36.21] and I see it's growing [00:07:38.08] but without that stand we can't make a change. [00:07:41.64] [00:07:45.05] narrator: The community then gathered [00:07:46.59] to understand the devastating consequences [00:07:48.79] of bullying. [00:07:50.06] And to support the students [00:07:51.32] trying to make a change. [00:07:53.39] We do this so that it never happens to you [00:07:55.93] and so that it never happens to the people that you know. [00:07:58.53] [00:08:02.13] Somehow you've done something [00:08:04.95] that made school safe. [00:08:07.22] This is Lauri Massari who is responsible [00:08:10.52] for starting this movement [00:08:12.18] that has grown faster than anything [00:08:14.71] we have ever seen in the Antelope Valley. [00:08:16.64] [ clapping ] [00:08:21.79] [music] Look around you [00:08:24.46] Do you see anyone [00:08:26.57] who just might be invisible too [00:08:32.27] Allow your mind to be changed [00:08:34.66] And forever understand your power [00:08:37.17] and the impact you have on the lives around you. [00:08:41.15] Will you join our fight to end school bullying? [00:08:43.78] 'Not in Our Town' [00:08:46.92] [ clapping ] [00:08:51.23]