Near the front entrance to McGaugh Elementary School in Seal Beach a banner reads: “If You See Something, Say Something.”
It is a message that is being spread throughout the Los Alamitos Unified School District as well as other school districts and is being enhanced by the “No Bullies” campaign. Thanks to the campaign, there will soon be posters on school district’s campuses, featuring local students, spreading the message to their peers.
The program is the brainchild of the Miss Seal Beach Pageant organization in cooperation with the school district.
On Friday, Jan. 3, the members of the Miss Seal Beach Court, along with the program’s Director Rosie Ritchie, photographers Marcela McSorley and Felix Flores, arrived on the campuses of Rossmoor Elementary and Los Alamitos High School. They were there to interact with the students who were chosen to be in the posters that would spread the “No Bullies” message.
The “No Bullies” campaign actually had its first cry of life when the 2013 Miss Teen Seal Beach Savannah Finch, who was 14 when she took on the role, chose to “Say Something.” She approached the editor of the Sun Newspaper who challenged her to write a column on the subject, pending her parents’ permission. Finch delivered a well-written, emotionally touching column, days before her deadline – a daunting task for many adults.
Afterward, her fellow Miss Seal Beach Court members, under the direction of Ritchie, took up the cause and mapped out a plan to get the “No Bullies” campaign off the ground. It is the kind of activity that has defined the Miss Seal Beach program.
“What I’m most proud of with the Miss Seal Beach organization is that it’s not ‘just’ a pageant,” Ritchie said. “It’s a program that instills the valuable tools each young lady will need to pursue and reach her goals, be it filling out a college application, standing in front of a professor giving a speech, applying for a job and understanding the importance of a one on one interview and, of course, meeting and working with this great community.”
There was excitement on the Rossmoor Elementary and Los Alamitos High School campuses on Friday. As the cameras began to click and flash, parents of the “models” also stepped up to grab what memories they could with their own photographic devices. The atmosphere was flowing with a sense of being part of a great adventure that might heal some wounds before they’re inflicted.
While the “No Bullies” campaign is not necessarily original, it is a movement that has gained increasing support and interest.
Ritchie offered the following observations:
According to a report from The National Center for Education Statistics:
• There is noticeably more bullying in middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8) than in senior high school
• Emotional bullying is the most prevalent type of bullying, with pushing/shoving/tripping/spitting on someone being second
• Cyberbullying is – for the middle grade levels – the least prominent type of bullying, but it is greater in the last three years of high school than in grades 6 – 9
• Most school bullying occurs inside the school, a lesser amount on school property, and even less on the school bus. The least occurs in other areas
• Middle school students, and particularly 6th graders, were most likely to be bullied on the bus
• Sixth graders were the most likely students to sustain an injury from bullying, with middle schoolers more likely to be injured than high school students and the percentage going down every grade from 6 to 12
• Victims of bullying display a range of responses, even many years later, such as:
1. Low self-esteem
2. Difficulty in trusting others
3. Lack of assertiveness
4. Aggression
5. Difficulty controlling anger
6. Isolation
The awareness of bullying and finding the means to avert the behavior can lead to similar campaigns on common ground. For example Jerome Hamilton, who is from Seal Beach, and portrays the bailiff on the new court TV show “Paternity Court” said he is getting involved. He said he recently joined another anti-bullying campaign and wants to use the show as a platform to speak about such topics.
“I am interested in being part of the anti-bullying campaign because I understand how traumatic it can be for a person to be bullied,” he said. “Those moments instill fear in children as they grow up and stay with them for their entire life, making them feel inferior. It’s very sad to see this type of behavior. I always prided myself in being the one that stood up to the bully on behalf of the victim.”
Hamilton said he understands that bullying can have dramatically devastating effects on the victims.
“That’s the sad reality we live in,” he said. “We must educate the public on signs of bullying and put a stop to this before another victim commits suicide over someone’s thoughtless words and cruel behavior. I am willing to stand up once again as a public figure to create public awareness.”
Ritchie said the Miss Seal Beach Court would be part of that education process.
“The Miss Seal Beach organization will be touring the Los Alamitos Unified School District in February, reading to students, educating our young community, encouraging them to make the right choice and use their voice to report the bully.”
Ritchie said the “No Bullies” campaign has been the highlight of the 2013 Miss Seal Beach Courts’ year of service, in addition to many public appearances, included visits to young cancer patients at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach through the Ronald McDonald Charities.
“It’s about making a difference and this year, this powerful group of dedicated young ladies have certainly raised the bar for 2014’s queens and courts,” she said. “I’m proud of each and every one of them.”
Ritchie reported on Tuesday that she has been contacted by the school district in Huntington Beach whose representatives said they are also interested in having a “No Bullies” campaign started for their students.
“I want to see our girls pass their crowns to their successors on March 9th embracing 2013,” Ritchie said. “This year, the Miss Seal Beach Court members expanded their roles and became advocates for “No Bullies.”
“We’ve all, in some capacity, been bullied or know someone who has. We’ve even witnessed it yet said nothing. This is an opportunity for them to use the crowns and spread the word. If you see something, say something. Every school has a number to call if a student or adult wants to report a bully. It’s that easy and the person reporting can be anonymous.
The Miss Seal Beach Pageant is a registered non-profit. For information on donations, contact Rosie Ritchie by email at rosieritchie@yahoo.com.
