Putnam County School District Resource Officer Christy May speaks Thursday with Kelley Smith Elementary School students during a presentation on bullying and its consequences.
Fifth grade students at Kelley Smith Elementary School fell silent and listened carefully Thursday to a frank and important presentation on bullying. Christy May, a School Resource Officer with School Safety and Security, spoke to upper-level students at the school on the causes and effects of bullying.
The goal of the presentation was to make the students more conscientious of their actions when they transfer to middle school next year.
May made it clear that if students stop and think about the rights of others, there would be less bullying. She asked them, "Would you want it done to you?"
Even more than just unwanted touching, gossip, or harassment, May made students aware about the dangers of cyber bullying on the social network Facebook.
"No one likes to be picked on or bullied," May said. "Of course students should always tell an adult when they see or feel like they're being bullied, but they can also be more assertive."
May then illustrated what assertive speech sounds like with a student volunteer.
After a brief video showing student responses to bullying, Kelley Smith Assistant Principal Kim Baggs ended the session by instilling confidence in students to do what is right, saying "If everybody stays scared then it is never going to stop."
