Fighting Back, Without Aggression

In the Washington area, several schools have been taking steps to stop children's social aggression. Most efforts involved a variety of tactics. But some principles recur:

· Building a sense of connectedness Many schools have student advisory groups to make sure kids get heard and don't feel anonymous. The Field School in the District has seven, roughly 10 students to a group. "From 2 to 2:45 every day, they know this is their time," says David Buffum, head of the middle school.

· Empowering kids One way to invest kids in an anti-bullying project? Let them define and initiate it. That's what some 30 students did at River Bend Middle School in Loudoun County. The students, all "peer ambassadors" (volunteer peer counselors), decided to create a Web site on social rejection, offering tips, links and statistics. The site will be maintained by the next group of student volunteers, says Patricia Allenson, supervisor of guidance and health services for Loudoun County Public Schools.

· Going to ground Instead of making assumptions about social stresses facing Lafayette Elementary School students, Megan Toy, peaceable schools coordinator for the District's public schools, surveyed them. The results helped school staff recognize problem areas and devise plans to address them.

· Teaching social skills For six years, licensed clinical social worker and McLean School counselor Julie Baron has helped fifth- and sixth-graders devise tools to defuse social aggression. Using the "Owning Up" curriculum developed by Washington educator Rosalind Wiseman, Baron shows students that most kids are bystanders in a bullying relationship, "and therein lies the power to change the social climate." Bystanders can fight back, she says, by seeking adult help and not laughing along.

· Involving parents and teachers Sharon Boettinger, supervisor of counseling and student support services for Frederick County public schools, sends mailings every fall to staff and parents on managing anxious and fearful students. After the April shootings at Virginia Tech, she repeated the staff mailing. She also works with mental health agencies to help kids with behavior problems.

-- Susan Morse