By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A group of local teens created an anti-bullying video with the expectation of airing it in a couple of schools. This week, the video has gotten national attention.
The teens were a part of the Salisbury Police Department’s cadet program and from Youth Services Bureau’s partner group, Reclaiming Futures. The video was scripted and filmed in July at the Salisbury Police Department. The teens recognized a need to discuss bullying in schools.
Daniel Sevigny, project director of Reclaiming Futures and program director of Restorative Justice, a program designed to reduce recidivism, along with Salisbury Police officer Ann Cooper, helped the teens create the video.
The Reclaiming Futures program decided to use the video and the story behind how it was created in its national platform.
Sevigny said after the teens, who are students in local schools, filmed the video he contacted Assistant Superintendent of Administration Nathan Currie with Rowan-Salisbury Schools regarding getting the video into some of the schools.
Currie and Sevigny discussed using the video as part of the school system’s anti- bullying, discrimination and harassment training.
Currie said he thought the video was, “a great collaboration between the city and the school system.”
The video was then shown to school administrators and principals, all of whome signed on to receive copies of the video for their respective schools.
“I’ve known of a couple schools that have used it as part of their character education program. A lot of schools have done creative things with the video,” Currie said.
He said bullying is an epidemic that’s moved into national discussion.
“I’m just glad this is one of the many tools out there for parents and students to have as a resource tool,” he said.
Sevigny said 200 copies of the video have gone out to schools.
“Every school has the resource at their hand,” he said.
In a conference call for the Reclaiming Futures program, Sevigny discussed the video and how it was used to engage the community.
“The national office decided to use our communication plan and our video as a way to do things so other project directors can take this idea and bring it to their communities,” Sevigny said.
Reclaiming Futures is mainly a substance abuse and juvenile crime initiative, but bullying has a lot to do with crime, Sevigny said.
He said many of those bullies become involved in drugs and alcohol.
“They saw a need to address it because of the link between the two,” he said.
The video, “You’re Not Alone – Let’s All Put a Stop to Bullying,” can be found on Youtube under the ReclaimingFuturesNPO page.
The school system is implementing a confidential online reporting system for students, teachers and staff to report bullying.
Youth Services Bureau is a Rowan County United Way member agency.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.