Maria Rovito
Webmasterbullying

Education majors, parents, and students at Millersville University learned about the dynamics, impact, and avoidance of bullying in “Bullying Prevention—Everyone’s Responsibility: What Parents Can Do” held last Tuesday, April 16, in the Stayer Multi-purpose room as part of “Silence the Hate” Week. Sponsored by the Parent Education Network (PEN), Kathy Stocki, a member of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association Board of Directors, gave a presentation focused on individual help for students, parents, and professionals facing children who are tormented by bullying and harassment in schools.
Stocki’s lecture concentrated on how educators define bullying, types of bullying, who bullies, who is targeted by bullying, and resources parents can use to help a child who is being bullied. “Bullying is often considered a natural part of childhood because it is so common,” shared Stocki. She explained that often times children do not want to attend class due to bullying, and that children often suffer from headaches and stomachaches from being tormented in school.
Stocki has been a member of the Old Forge School District since 2010. Since then, she has been elected to board president. Stocki has also been a professor at Marywood University for twenty years, and received her Master’s degree from the University of Scranton. She currently provides resources for parents and educators through PEN of York, PA.
For families dealing with children who are bullied, Stocki suggests knowing the school district’s policy regarding bullying, recording events about the bullying incidents, and contacting the school whenever a child has been harassed by peers. Parents should also check their child’s social media outlets often due to cyberbullying, which Stocki describes as “the new bathroom wall.”
“Due to the impact of social media, bullying is now 24/7, which causes more harm for the target of the bullying. Cyberbullying is anonymous and can be distributed to a wide audience, which means that it is the most harmful type of bullying,” explains Stocki.
Above all, Stocki suggested that parents should talk with their children whenever a bullying incident might have occurred. “There is no typical profile of someone who might be subjected to bullying,” stated Stocki, “so parents must listen, believe, and be supportive of their children.”
For more information on the Parent Education Network and Bullying Prevention, visit http://www.parentednet.org/.