bullying

Dryden Unites: Spreading Kindness Across the Community

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Dryden Central School District (DCSD) made it a priority to take part in the United in Kindness program organized by the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force in October.

But DCSD’s engagement is a multifaceted campaign that will continue throughout the 2023-2024 school year. The district is promoting the campaign on its social media platforms.

DCSD kicked off its United in Kindness campaign with Unity Day on October 18, calling on community members to wear orange—the color for bullying prevention—”for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.” School bulletin boards were festooned with kindness messages, and all school cafeterias served meals with orange-colored items. Middle and high school students were given orange-colored United in Kindness wristbands to wear. School staff wore specially designed orange t-shirts with the slogan “Be the Unity in Community.”

The district is hosting guest speakers, such as Brandi Remington, TST-BOCES Youth Development Coordinator, who gave a presentation for parents about New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).

DCSD launched a “Mental Health 101” website, which provides community resources, mental health services, and social emotional learning opportunities.

DCSD libraries created an array of books with themes on kindness and giving back. During the month of February, the school district will distribute to preK-12 students and community members bookmarks with kindness messages and reminders to include everyone and be respectful of other people’s differences.

Another kindness initiative involving students was a food drive, with donation boxes placed outside classrooms, to support Dryden families during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Student athletes brought their own contributions to Dryden’s campaign. Dryden High School cheerleaders created mental health awareness posters and posted them around school as signs of mindfulness for their classmates.

Even before the United in Kindness campaign began, Dryden Lacrosse player Tyler Franzese along with high school coaches and teammates created Dryden’s “You Matter” initiative to promote mental health and suicide prevention at “mental health games” sporting events. The initiative, which has been featured on Nick Karski’s “Between the Lines” ESPN podcast, honors former assistant Lacrosse coach Matt Williams, who died by suicide in 2022.

For Dryden games, players wear “You Matter” t-shirts during warmups and purple and teal suicide prevention ribbons on the field. The school sells the “You Matter” shirts to raise money to support the expansion of the district’s mental health resources.

The initiative says its mission is “to help people through their inner struggles, no matter how big or small, by promoting positive mental health and suicide prevention.” It encourages people to talk about their struggles and to be open to help with their mental and emotional health.

United in Kindness, designed to observe National Bullying Prevention Month, showcases all of the great work taking place around Tompkins County and act as a reminder that each of our individual efforts come together to support a culture of acceptance and kindness. Many agencies, school districts, groups, and individuals are working together to build empathy, self awareness, social skills, and holistic health that is needed to cultivate a culture of kindness.

In a world where our days are filled with activity, responsibility, and a constant flow of information, the importance of mental health can be overlooked. Yet, it is an essential part of our overall well being.

DCSD recognizes that the road to better mental health is not a linear path. It is okay to have setbacks or hard days. What is important is the commitment to move forward and invest in our own wellbeing. By attending to our own mental health, we can inspire others to do the same.

—By Mary Hicks and Lara Patz

Mary Hicks is a social worker and Lara Patz is a public relations specialist in the Dryden Central School District

Keep up with Dryden’s United in Kindness campaign on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Photo credits: Dryden Central School District Facebook page

United in Kindness Month 2023!

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The Tompkins County Legislature has proclaimed October “United in Kindness Month.” Legislature Chairwoman Shawna Black issued the proclamation after the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force coordinated a series of 13 events with kindness themes for the month.

Chairwoman Shawna Black presents proclamation to Task Force member Brandi Remington

Brandi Remington, Youth Development Coordinator at TST BOCES and Task Force member, was on hand to receive the proclamation at a legislative meeting on October 3.

“October is National Bullying Prevention Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and includes Digital Citizenship Week,” Remington said in remarks to the Legislature.

“Every time I read that list, my heart feels a little heavy. It brings to the forefront of my mind all of the power imbalances and unacceptable behaviors that need to be healed in our community. It reminds me of the struggles our students, families, and neighbors face, and reminds me of the problems and barriers we have to overcome before we truly have a community where there is justice and dignity for all.”

But Remington recalled words of the philosopher Buckminster Fuller, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

She said that the United in Kindness series “is meant to showcase all the great work taking place in our community and remind us that each of our individual efforts come together to create a culture of acceptance and kindness.”

“With this series we aim to bring our young people, their families, and every single one of our neighbors together to remind them that there is another way of existing: one in which we are not competing for power, airtime, or ‘Likes’ on social media, and where we let our emotions pass through us before we speak or respond.

“This is where we value the inherent worth of every human being, celebrate diversity, and share our individual bounties of abundance- whether those are physical resources and tools, knowledge, and information, or even the simple abundance of joy, because this is what a community united in kindness looks like.”

VIEW OR DOWNLOAD: United in Kindness Event Series for October 2023

The proclamation reads as follows:

Tompkins County Legislature

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, bullying has been identified as a prevalent and serious problem affecting today’s youth, and

WHEREAS, types of youth bullying include physical, verbal, and relational bullying, as well as cyberbullying that involves threatening or harassing electronic communications, and

WHEREAS, 20 percent of teens nationally report being bullied at school, and 46 percent of teens nationally report being cyberbullied, and

WHEREAS, bullying has psychological, physical, and academic effects, and adversely affects youth who are bullied as well as those who engage in bullying, and

WHEREAS, more than two dozen government agencies, community organizations, parents, and representatives from the County’s six school districts formed the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force in March 2019, and

WHEREAS, the Task Force’s mission is to facilitate comprehensive cooperation across the community in developing and promoting appropriate bullying prevention and response strategies in Tompkins County, and

WHEREAS, every member of the Tompkins County community, government agencies, community organizations, school administrators, teachers, athletic coaches, parents, and students can play a part in creating a bully-free environment in our schools, athletics fields, public spaces, and online websites, and

WHEREAS, the Task Force organizes a series of “United in Kindness” educational events and activities in October to fight bullying and domestic violence and to promote kindness and empathy throughout our community, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Tompkins County Legislature does hereby proclaim the month of October 2023 as

UNITED IN KINDNESS MONTH

In Tompkins County.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, Shawna Black, have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the great seal of Tompkins County, State of New York, on this 3rd day of October 2023.



DOWNLOAD: United in Kindness Month proclamation

We’re United in Kindness

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United in Kindness is back again in Tompkins County this October!

United in Kindness is a series of events and activities organized by the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force for National Bullying Prevention Month and National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

DOWNLOAD: United in Kindness Schedule

This year the series includes “Huddle Together: Mental Health for Athletes Week”; a story walk with a book giveaway for kids in Lansing; a creative writing workshop for youth at Tompkins County Public Library; and Fall Family Fun Day at the Mental Health Association on the Commons

One of the highlights is How I See Myself, where youth ages 5-21 are invited to create and submit self portrait artworks for an art exhibition starting October 26 at the Outreach Center in Center Ithaca. The exhibition will host a reception on Friday Gallery Night on November 3.

According to organizer Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, “Bullying can affect the way we see ourselves, and art can be a healing and a powerful way of communicating those feelings. Our mission for this exhibit is to send the message that we are not alone, that bullying prevention matters, and that we each have a powerful voice to contribute.”

Dryden Central School District will launch a year-long campaign to promote kindness, includes a family dinner with a discussion about bullying, student “be kind” pledges, and more.

This year’s United in Kindness features three professional presentations on bullying and cyberbullying.

Stephanie S. Fredrick, associate director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, presents “Cyberbullying and Social Media Use: Overview and Implications for schools and families.”

Brandi Remington, TST-Boces Youth Development Coordinator, presents “Dignity for All Students Act: Empowering Parents & Caregivers to Address Bullying.”

And author James Garbarino presents “And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to protect adolescents from bullying, harassment, and emotional violence.”

Huddle Together: Mental Health for Athletes Week 9/27 through 10/10

@ Cornell University &  Ithaca High School

Home sports events are branded as “Mental Health Awareness” games with information available about community resources. 

Free Hugs @ Apple Harvest Festival 9/29 through 10/1 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

@ Ithaca Commons

Free Hugs Ithaca and Be Kind Ithaca team up to give away t-shirts and iconic Be Kind hearts—and actual hugs—to dozens of lucky Apple Fest attendees.

Domestic Violence Reading Kits 10/1 through 10/31

@ Public & school libraries and select other locations, Advocacy Center kits contain reading lists for teens & adults, healthy relationship bookmarks, support resources, and purple ribbons for Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

How I See Myself 10/9 through 11/6

@ Mental Health Association Outreach Center in Center Ithaca

Tompkins County youth ages 5-21 are invited to create and submit self portrait artworks by 10/9 deadline. Creative art exhibition from 10/26–11/6 at the Outreach Center @ Center Ithaca. Gallery Night Reception 11/3 5-8 p.m.

Story Walk 10/14 10 a.m.-12 Noon

@ Lansing Center Trail, 104 Auburn Road, Lansing—(Scoops Ice Cream parking lot)

A guided read-aloud of Nook, by Sally Anne Garland. Plus bookmaking and activities for the whole family.

8th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest 10/14 10 a. m.-4 p.m.

Bernie Milton Pavilion

Fun event including live music and information tables to raise awareness about mental health. Contest submissions from 10 a.m.-12 Noon

United in Kindness in Dryden October through June

Schools throughout Dryden Central School District

A year-long campaign to promote kindness kicks off 10/16.

United in Words 10/21 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Tompkins County Public Library

Young Adult novelist Bree Barton leads a fun, interactive youth writing workshop for Tompkins County students with a focus on creativity, collaboration, and cool prizes.

Cyberbullying & Social Media 10/24 12 Noon-1 p.m.

On Zoom

Symposium for parents and caregivers on keeping children safe from cyberbullying by Stephanie S. Fredrick of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention.

Empowering Parents & Caregivers to Address Bullying 10/25 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

On Zoom

A presentation about New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act by Brandi Remington, TST-Boces Youth Development Coordinator.

And Words Can Hurt Forever 10/27 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

@ Mental Health Association Outreach Center in Center Ithaca

Presentation on how to protect adolescents from bullying, harassment, and emotional violence by author James Garbarino.

Clothesline Project 10/28 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

@ Ithaca Farmers Market

Advocacy Center invites people to write Acts of Kindness messages on paper hearts for a temporary display and view Clothesline Project t-shirts with uplifting messages of support for abuse survivors.

Fall Family Fun Day 10/28 12 Noon-3 p.m.

@ Mental Health Association Outreach Center in Center Ithaca

Snacks, crafts, games, pumpkin painting, cookie decorating + info about family peer support.

For more information about bullying and the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force, go to: https://thesophiefund.org/bullying/

How I See Myself

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Calling all young artists! The Mental Health Association in Tompkins County is inviting youth aged 5-21 to create self-portraits for an art exhibition beginning October 23. The deadline for submissions is October 9.

The exhibition, “How I See Myself: Self Portraits of Youth and Young Adults,” will take place from October 23 to November 3 at the organization’s Outreach Center in Center Ithaca on the Ithaca Commons. A reception will be held to celebrate the artworks on Gallery Night November 3.

Click HERE to learn more and access the Submission Form

The exhibition is part of the United in Kindness series of events in October coordinated by the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force to mark National Bullying Prevention Month. The exhibition is made possible in part by a grant from The Sophie Fund.

“Bullying can affect the way we see ourselves, and art can be a healing and a powerful way of communicating those feelings,” the organizer said. “Our mission for this exhibit is to send the message that we are not alone, that bullying prevention matters, and that we each have a powerful voice to contribute.”

To participate in the exhibition, artists must submit one piece of art in any style or medium including video pieces of five minutes or less. All works must originate with the artist submitting them. No copyrighted materials may be submitted for this exhibition.

Each piece must not exceed 24 inches in height, width, or depth. All artwork must be ready to hang. Framed or matted, it must have wire across the back by which to be hung. Sculptures must be stable and able to stand on their own (24 inches or less in diameter).

Participants are asked to write a brief statement about their artworks, about the medium being used, feelings about their piece, what they liked about making a self portrait, or anything that would help the viewer understand more about the work.

Youth Bullying Today

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One in five female American high school students in 2021 reported being cyberbullied, and 17 percent said they had been bullied on school property, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011-2021 issued on February 13 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overall, 16 percent of American teens reported being cyberbullied, and 15 percent bullied at school, the report said; 11 percent of males reported being cyberbullied, and 13 percent said they were bullied while on school grounds.

Teens who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, or another non-heterosexual identify, or had same-sex partners, were twice as likely to experience bullying, according to the YRBS report.

The survey showed that 27 percent of LGBQ+ teens, and 37 percent of teens who have same-sex partners, reported being cyberbullied, and 23 percent and 32 percent, respectively, reported being bullied on school property.

The national data showed that 21 percent of American Indian teens, 19 percent of white teens, 13 percent of Hispanic teens, 13 percent of Asian teens, and 10 percent of Black teens reported being cyberbullied; and 18 percent, 18 percent, 12 percent, 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, reported bullying at school.

The survey indicated that rates of bullying among American high school students held steady and in some measures declined slightly over the past decade.

Students reporting cyberbullying declined from 16.2 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2021. The percentage of students saying they were bullied at school declined from 20.1 percent in 2011 to 15 percent in 2021.

No 2011 data was available for LGBQ+ students. However, the percentage of LGBQ+ teens reporting cyberbullying increased slightly from 26.6 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2021. Those experiencing bullying on school grounds declined from 32 percent to 23 percent.

Noting that overall experiences of bullying declined in the last decade, the report said that it was still concerning that the percentage of students who missed school because of safety concerns and sexual violence increased.

In Tompkins County, youth bullying appears more prevalent than the national average, according to the Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation (CLYDE) survey of students in grades 7-12 in 2021. According to the survey, released in June 2022, 20.8 percent of the Tompkins students reported being cyberbullied, and 21.2 reported being bullied at school.

READ: Bullying Prevention in Tompkins County

The CLYDE survey numbers may skew higher in part because, unlike the national YRBS survey, the Tompkins data includes 7th and 8th graders who register bullying experiences anywhere from five to 15 percentage points higher than high schoolers.

Broken down by gender and race in the CLYDE survey, being a victim of cyberbullying was reported by 33 percent of all other gender identities, 30.1 percent of all American Indians, 27.5 percent of Black girls, 23.9 percent of all Black youth, 22 percent of all girls, 20.7 percent of Hispanic youth, 17.5 percent of all Asian youth, and 17.2 percent of all males.

Being a victim of bullying at school was reported by 33.5 percent of all other gender identities, 26.7 percent of Black girls, 25.7 percent of all American Indian youth, 21.8 percent of all Black youth, 21.3 percent of all girls, 19.8 percent of all Hispanic youth, 18.2 percent of all males, and 14.1 percent of all Asian youth.

The CDC defines youth bullying as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated.” The CDC says that bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.

According to stopbullying.gov, a website operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. The website says that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection, exclusion, and despair, as well as depression and anxiety, which can contribute to suicidal behavior. But most young people who die by suicide have multiple risk factors, the website says.

Note about transgender data: The CDC report said that because the survey did did not include a question on gender identity, the report did not highlight data specifically on students who identify as transgender. That’s why the report references “LGBQ+” omitting the letter T that is commonly used in the acronym LGBTQ+, the report explained. “However, strategies to improve adolescent health should be inclusive of all students who identify as LGBTQ+, so the full acronym is used when highlighting actions,” the report said. It added that future YRBS surveys will include a question on gender identity.

Concerned about bullying? To contact or join the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force, email The Sophie Fund at: thesophiefund2016@gmail.com