Senators Join Jerry Sandusky to Launch The Second Mile's Bullying Prevention Initiative

HARRISBURG—Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf, R-Montgomery/Bucks, and Sen. Jay Costa, Jr., D-Allegheny, sponsors of legislation to provide bullying prevention programs in schools, today lauded The Second Mile organization for developing "No Bullying Allowed!" a program aimed at engaging third through sixth grade students in strategies to stop bullying behaviors.

The Second Mile, founded by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky in 1977 to help young people in Pennsylvania develop positive life skills and provide opportunities for educational success, is offering its program, featuring role-playing and classroom discussion activities, to public and private schools and youth organizations across the commonwealth. The Second Mile is providing the program free of charge, thanks to the support of donors.

"Sen. Costa and I have been interested in attacking the problem of bullying, which has a serious impact on young lives and on school communities. Some schools have gone forward with prevention and training programs, but many schools have not targeted the bullying problem. This program presents an opportunity for every school to raise awareness and develop a better school environment," Greenleaf said.

"Schools that have existing anti-bullying programs can use The Second Mile materials as a supplement, while schools that do not have programs in place can use "No Bullying Allowed" as a starting point for students and staff to recognize and stop the destructive behavior of bullying," said Costa.

Costa noted that the program is focused on teaching younger students. "Prevention should start in the early grades and involve parents and teachers," he said. "Everyone must get on board with the idea that intimidating behavior is not acceptable and it should not be ignored or tolerated."

"Bullying takes many forms, from shoving to shunning," said Greenleaf. "It affects everyone involved, from the bullied to the bully to bystanders. Unchecked, it takes a personal toll and can lead to escalating violence."

According to statistics gathered in Maine's Project Against Bullying Survey, students identified as bullies in the early elementary school years are six times more likely to be convicted of a crime before age 25 than students not associated with such behavior. A 2001 report of a survey in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that 30 percent of the 15,000 sixth to tenth grade students surveyed said that they were bullied or were engaged in bullying behavior themselves. Thirteen percent said they were involved at least once a week in such behavior.

"The Second Mile program developers are not making a claim that "No Bullying Allowed! is the solution to problem behaviors in schools, but they are offering to start the discussion on bullying with a program that is readily accessible to all schools and youth organizations in the state," Greenleaf said. "We are hoping that schools will take advantage of this offer."