Fighting Back Against Bullying: Laurel Programs Intervene

Bullying often starts at home.

"I believe bullying and domestic abuse are partnered with each other," said Valerie Nicholas, founder of Love is not Enough, Inc., a Laurel-based non-profit organization that mentors domestic abuse victims. "Kids are acting out of anger and what's going on inside the home."

Nicholas said she was abused physically and sexually as a child and eventually began getting bullied in school. Kids who face bullying at home can also become bullies themselves.

"We've got to address the issues that are occurring in the home," she said. "Kids are losing their lives because of bullying."

Seeking to combat a rise in bullying in Prince George's County Public schools, several Laurel-based programs are taking unique approaches to protecting students and turning bullies around.

In Prince George’s County Public Schools, administrators have drafted policies and training sessions for students to prevent bullying, according to Lynn McCawley, a spokeswoman for schools.

“Some of our schools have developed school-based initiatives related to anti-bullying,” she said in an e-mail. “All of our schools receive posters with anti-bullying messaging and information on reporting.”

A majority of bullying occurs in county middle schools McCawley said, citing a survey conducted in 14 schools.  Middle school is where the most incidents, of bullying are reported, she said.

Despite efforts to combat bullying, incidents have grown in recent years.

During the 2006-2007 school year there were 24 bullying incidents reported in Prince George’s County Schools, according to Diane Powell, the school system’s director of student engagement and school support. In the 2007-2008 school year 54 incidents were reported. The next year, the number grew to 77. This school year, a year that still has two more months, there have been 488 bullying incidents reported.

McCawley said that methods in reporting incidents have improve sparking a rise in reports.

Still, others believe the best way to prevent bullying is to fight back—or at least be prepared to.

Robert Crawford, a mixed-martial arts instructor and owner ofn Laurel, said he’s been training school children for more than 20 years.

“Bullying has always been around, and it leads to the weaker individual being taken advantage of. I use this analogy with my students – life is like a jungle,” he said. “There are animals out there. You see a weak animal dragging along, and then you see this robust, strong looking animal. Who’s going to be dinner?”

Crawford said in recent years he’s seen an increase in parents coming to him to train their children.  Confidence, he said, is often an essential component in warding off bullies.

“Confidence is vital, but confidence without skills is not a good thing,” he said. “It is survival of the fittest. We still have some animal instincts in us.”

David Bedenbaugh sent his 10-year old son to Crawford after the boy began being bullied at his school in Laurel over a year ago.

“My personal belief is that bullying happens because children are not mature. They have not learned that they shouldn’t use their size to get what they want," he said.

“My son is a little below average height for his age,” he said. “Being in that kind of situation, small framed, you attract the attention of other kids, and that was the case with him. They started to bully him.”

Bedenbaugh said he eventually put his son in a new school.  And after about a month of training, his son was able to fend himself off from several bully attacks.

“Because of what Coach Crawford taught him, he was able to stand up to those other kids,” he said.