Anti-bullying program held

The Crime Victim’s Center hosted the program at Uwchlan Hills Elementary School

UWCHLAN >> Downingtown elementary students learned how to cope when they encounter bullies and to not come to conclusions about people based on their perceived appearance.

Melissa Heivly of the Crime Victim’s Center of Chester County recently visited Uwchlan Hills Elementary School students in the Downingtown Area School District to present the organization’s anti-bullying message. Prepared with students in mind, the program featured an introduction on the Crime Victim’s Center in West Chester, a refresher on the 911 hotline and activities centered around how to cope when confronted with a bully.

Heivly and the students talked about first impressions and how important it is not to make quick assumptions about people. She encouraged students to not base their opinions about fellow students on their race, religion, wealth, disabilities or physical characteristics.

The children participated in two activities. First, Heivly handed out a list of nine different presents and a brief description of nine people. The presents included a motorcycle helmet, theater tickets and a rocket. The children had to match the present with the correct individual. When she walked around the room, Heivly quickly noticed that everyone had picked the briefcase for the attorney, the cupcake pan for the grandmother and the theater tickets for the mother, etc.

The program featured an introduction on the Crime Victim’s Center in West Chester, a refresher on the 911 hotline and activities centered around how to cope when confronted with a bully.

Students came to some assumptions that could be correct, except they had not asked for more information about each individual. With just a little more investigation, the students learned that the attorney loved to bake, grandma owned a motorcycle and cousin Jimmy was taking dance lessons and loved the theater. Their first assumptions about who should receive what gift were not quite as accurate as when they took the time to learn more about each individual.

The second activity involved role playing, with one student playing the bully, one a victim of the bully and the others in each group figuring out how to help the child in need. Heivly urged the students to think about how to react if a bully began to bother them. Methods included finding a friend, or teacher or parent to help. She said they could even call the Crime Victim’s Center hotline if ever they felt a need.