Bully Prevention Expert Margaret Ross: Guest Focus On Atlanta

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>> KEISHA: Hi, welcome back to Focus Atlanta.
Again, I’m your host Keisha Williams.
In this segment, we are going to talk a little bit
about our kids.
But you know what?
Some of the things that the kids go through right now
like bullying in school.
It goes through life
I’ve had a couple of bullies at the job
you know to tell the truth about it.
So if we stop it, when it really gets started
we’ll be lots better off.
I’m here with MARGARET ROSS.
MARGARET ROSS, thanks for coming on the show.
>> MARGARET ROSS:  My pleasure Keisha.
>> KEISHA: How did you get into working with antibullying techniques?
>> MARGARET ROSS: Because we work in our foundation with schools
um, in a positive label program
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: What we found almost accidentally
is that as we put
kind words and kind actions into schools
we were measuring it pre and post
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: We founds that bullying was cut in half.
>> KEISHA: You found. Ok. Nice. Good way to do it.
What age ranges do you work with?
>> MARGARET ROSS: Elementary and middle school
>> KEISHA: Perfect because that’s really where it all begins.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Oh, it really does.
>> KEISHA: And unfortunately, like I said,
it doesn’t always end.
>> MARGARET ROSS: No it doesn’t as a matter of fact
about 35% of your viewers go to workplaces where they yell
and then when you add on top of that
the people who do the bullying that is the flame male
cutting you down at the meetings.
>> MARGARET ROSS: during your presentations, it goes on and on.
>> KEISHA: It goes on and on.
>> MARGARET ROSS: So, but, you know, with kids, it’s the replacement behavior cause kids have to succeed.
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: and um,
>> KEISHA: You have to find something else for them to do.
>> MARGARET ROSS: To do.  Exactly.
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Anyone who works with children knows that
all you have to say is don’t do this
>> KEISHA: aw, and they do it.
>> MARGARET ROSS: they do it.
Quickly as they can.
So what you have to do instead of
instead of focusing on don’t.
>> KEISHA: Don’t.
>> MARGARET ROSS: We focus on do
and because it feels really good
and we require that the adults change first.
>> KEISHA: Oh.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Which is the biggest challenge.
>> KEISHA: Huge.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Huge challenge.
>> KEISHA: You’re right.
>> MARGARET ROSS: And um,
>> KEISHA: Turn the old dog into having new spots.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Yeah, sure, I mean the kids
especially like in middle schoolers.
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Middle schoolers will do anything
as long as everyone is doing it
>> KEISHA: Yeah.
>> MARGARET ROSS: But if an entire middle school staff
does the Casey 3 program
>> KEISHA: Uh, huh.
>> MARGARET ROSS: With the students.
We renormed cool.
>> KEISHA: Wow.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Can you imagine having kind be cool?
>> KEISHA: That would be very cool.
>> MARGARET ROSS: It is.
>> KEISHA: [laughter]
>> MARGARET ROSS: It is when kind is cool because
cool kids then have to do the kind behaviors
>> KEISHA: Uh, huh.
>> MARGARET ROSS: To maintain their status in the school.
>> KEISHA: As, as cool.
>> MARGARET ROSS: As cool, you just must.
>> KEISHA: I love it.
>> MARGARET ROSS: And, um, the problem is just getting bigger
not smaller, unfortunately,
although we are working as hard as we can.
>> KEISHA: Right.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Like every day half of Georgia school childen get off a bus
where bullying happens.
>> KEISHA: Wow.
>> MARGARET ROSS: They walk into a school,
>> KEISHA: Um, hum.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Middle school where 8 out of 10 of the kids tell us
>> KEISHA: Problem.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Bullying happens there.
Half of elementary students tell us it’s a problem there.
And then cyberbullying is on top of it.
>> KEISHA: Oh my gosh.
>> MARGARET ROSS: It’s not replacing anything.
>> KEISHA: Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that aspect of it.
I mean, they are just getting into another realm
that we didn’t have to deal with then.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Oh yeah, right.  We didn’t have it at all.
>> KEISHA: Right.
>> MARGARET ROSS: As a matter of fact, half of Georgia teens
are part of cyberbullying.
>> KEISHA: Oh, gosh.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Girls win. You know, cyberbullying is a lot about words.
>> KEISHA: Wow.
>> MARGARET ROSS: And you know because it is
unkind taunting, teasing, ridiculing
through email, text and those kind of things.
>> KEISHA: Um, hum.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Man.
>> KEISHA: It continues in the different way.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Just in a different way.
>> KEISHA: So what can parents do
to kind of help you, you know,
cause it’s great if it’s reinforced in
both place, you know.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Yes.
>> KEISHA: You know what I mean?
>> MARGARET ROSS: Exactly, exactly.
If we are going to talk about, um, cyberbullying
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: When I asked the Georgia Teen Leadership Group,
just two weeks ago,
tell me how we should solve it?
>> KEISHA: Right.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Ok.  They said parents should tell their kids it’s wrong.
Isn’t that something?
>> KEISHA: Just like that.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Just like that. Parents should tell their kids it’s wrong
and why it’s wrong.
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Ok.  There should be consequences for the behavior.
>> KEISHA: Now, ok.  That brings up another question.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Um, hum.
>> KEISHA: Is part of the problem
that kids don’t realize that they are bullying.
Like they don’t recognize that what they are doing is
quote unquote bullying.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Yes.
>> KEISHA: Like calling this person this bad name
or whatever or texting
>> MARGARET ROSS: Right.
>> KEISHA: they don’t, ok, ok. They don’t follow.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Exactly. As a matter of fact, they are with you
if you say are you bullying, ok.
>> KEISHA: Um, hum.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Many will say no.
>> KEISHA: No, right.
>> MARGARET ROSS: But if you say
>> KEISHA: Do you.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Do you.  Has your friend received unkind emails?
>> KEISHA: Wow.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Has anybody said things, put pictures of you without your permission?
>> KEISHA: Wow.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Are kids on the bus saying mean things to each other?
They’ll say yes.
>> KEISHA: I gotcha.
Well, now give us, um, some more information
about your website so they can get
more information there.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Yes, yes they certainly can.
Kamaron.org. K-A-M-A-R-O-N dot org
>> KEISHA: Perfect.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Ok. If they type in, they see Bullying Solutions.
>> KEISHA: Ok.
>> MARGARET ROSS: On the home page there is a brochure
about the school program.
>> KEISHA: Um, hum.
>> MARGARET ROSS: I’m hoping that some people will feel so passionate
about after seeing this, your show.
>> KEISHA: Good. That would be great. [laughter]
>> MARGARET ROSS: We want a program in our school
>> KEISHA: That’s right. That’s right.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Or I’m hoping that maybe if there is a company
that will say we want to sponsor
>> KEISHA: Sponsor a school program
>> MARGARET ROSS: They want to sponsor an elementary school
and buses in Atlanta.
>> KEISHA: Yeah, definitely
>> MARGARET ROSS: Let’s do something for Atlanta.
One of the side benefits, Keisha, is that
um, the schools that do the program
get extra days and weeks of teaching time.
Our kids deserve every chance.
>> KEISHA: Absolutely. Well, thank you MARGARET ROSS for coming on.
>> MARGARET ROSS: Oh, it was my pleasure.
>> KEISHA: Thank you for sharing all this information.
And thank you guys for tuning in and I hope
you go to the website.
If you are a parent, go to the website
because you might want to pass it on to your kids.
If you’re a teacher, this is your opportunity.
Stay tuned for more Focus Atlanta.  We’ll be back with more.
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