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CORPUS CHRISTI —
A group of 12 middle school students Monday were quick to judge an image depicting a young woman with pink hair.
“Class clown!” several students shouted.
The group, which included students from Browne and Grant middle schools, considered various images of people and matched each with titles such as class clown, dropout, gang member or student body president.
“We’re probably getting all these wrong,” Grant Middle School sixth-grader Bailey Westerkom said.
Some of the actual answers surprised students, who learned labeling people can lead to behaviors such as bullying or depression.
“You can’t judge a book by it’s cover, can you?” asked Albert Martinez, a school district official who facilitated the group’s session.
Bailey was one of about 225 middle school and high school students from Corpus Christi Independent School District who participated in the district’s anti-bullying summit Monday.
Discussions about bullying are trickling down to young people as the media has highlighted national stories, and movies depicting teenage bullying have hit theaters.
After 16-year-old Ted “Teddy” Molina, a former Flour Bluff Independent School District student, committed suicide April 1, local districts such as CCISD, Robstown and London have publicly addressed the behavior. Ted’s family has attributed his death to bullying.
Monday’s summit included a skit performed by Baker Middle School students, a presentation on an ongoing CCISD video project and breakout sessions aimed at helping campuses address bullying.
Students told district officials that in-school suspension wasn’t a deterrent to bad behavior.
Other suggestions included classes dedicated to discussing bullying, smaller-scale summits, student groups charged with monitoring bullying and regular elementary school visits by high school students to build better relationships with young students.
Carroll junior Jeffrey Thomas, 17, said the summit wasn’t just to empower student leaders on certain campuses.
“It’s for everyone in our district — how can we make it better,” he said.
Superintendent Scott Elliff said officials plan to review student suggestions during the summer and consider any changes to policies or programs. Some students said officials need to be more vigilant in hallways and stairwells as well as more aware of how to address reports of bullying.
Elliff said student-generated ideas are more likely to be implemented by students.
“We think that has the potential to be powerful,” he said.
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