Southampton Town Marks Bullying Prevention Month in October
For the second year, the Southampton Town Board has partnered with the National Bullying Prevention Center and designated October as Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month — and local youth are invited to compete in a logo design contest.
The Southampton Town Youth Bureau and Councilwoman Christine Scalera are organizing three events concerning face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying.
“Last year’s events were a great success, but the problem continues to exist, often with traumatic and even tragic consequences,” Scalera said in a town statement. “It is my hope that these seminars continue to inform, provide strategies and tools and, perhaps most importantly, create awareness for school administrators, teachers, parents and our kids.”
On October 8 at the Hampton Bays Senior Center, a 6:30 p.m. event will feature guest speaker Jamie Isaccs, who will talk about bullying and what she did to overcome it. The Youth Bureau’s Act TWO drama troop will present the youth perspective through drama and discussion, according to the town.
In an event geared toward school administrators and faculty, on October 16 at 3:30 p.m. Cynthia Redmond will provide an introduction to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program at Hampton Bays Middle School. The seminar will be on understanding bullying and its impact in schools, practical tips when dealing with bullying, and a one year check up on the Dignity for All Students Act and the cyberbullying amendment.
On October 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Senior Center. Detective Rory Forrestal of the Suffolk County Police Department will conduct a presentation on cyberbullying and web crimes and what parents and youth can do. A Spanish interpreter will be at this event.
To attend an event, RSVP to 631-287-5745. All materials from the town will be available in both English and Spanish.
The Youth Bureau’s logo contest is looking for the best logo to represent Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month. The design will be used on event materials, and the top 10 entries will be displayed in town hall throughout October.
The logo should be an original creation that promotes an anti-bullying message. The winner will receive a gift card for dinner and a movie for two.
The deadline for submissions is September 23. Name, grade, school and contact information must be attached to the logo submission. Entries may be emailed to [email protected], delivered in person to the Youth Bureau at town hall, 116 Hampton Road, Southampton, or given to a Youth Bureau staffer.