School uses empathy and compassion to fight bullies

By Staff Writer

Increased awareness of the effects of bullying on today’s youth has prompted many school districts to implement programs to curb this behavior. Children are using violence in various forms including physical, mental and emotional to inflict pain on their peers.

In an effort to help students from Encinitas Union School District overcome bullies, the school has begun a program called Stop Bullying Now!, reports The Coast News.

The program uses online resources to help parents and children better understand bullying and to seek help if an individual becomes a victim of the behavior. Through teaching kids more compassion and empathy, educators and parents hope to give kids a tool to fight against bullying.

“There is only so much we can do as parents and educators,” Melissa Bloom, a parent with two children in Encinitas schools, told the news source “Once [children] get to a certain age, it is a lot harder to teach them compassion and empathy.”

According to a 2007 report from the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 32 percent of children between ages 12 and 18 reported being bullied at school.