EDWARDSBURG —  On Wednesday, March 23, Edwardsburg Public Schools opened its doors to the community to address bullying and violence among youth.

Keynote speaker Victor Fitz, Cass County prosecutor, presented an in-depth and thought-provoking look at this issue.

Drawing on both his personal experience, and his experience as a prosecutor, Fitz emphasized that one of the most important things parents can do to address bullying is to stay involved in the lives of their children.

He stated that bullying, which is a repeated act of aggression with a negative intent towards a person with less power, can have lasting effects on all parties involved.

Some recommendations he put forth included; keep communication open with your children, monitor what children are doing and who they are spending their time with, look for signs of harassment such as withdrawing and avoiding school and don’t over  or under react.

It was also noted that when appropriate,  it is wise to  give your children strategies to try to resolve the issue themselves, such as avoid the bully, stand up for themselves, get a buddy to walk with them or tell an adult at school.

In this way you can help to empower your child to recognize their own ability to handle problems in their lives.

However, depending upon the severity and frequency of the situation, more help may be needed.

Fitz recommended that when contacting your children’s school it is best to have interactions that create a positive partnership.

He stated that the more schools and parents work together to resolve this problem, the more successful they will be.  If necessary, parents can also seek help from a mental health professional.

Addressing the issue of bullying is not new to Edwardsburg Public Schools.

In 2002, with the help of Marcia McEvoy, a specialist in the area of youth bullying who has worked with Dowagiac schools, Edwardsburg moved forward with a comprehensive anti-bullying policy.

Through implementation of staff in-services, parent meetings and student workshops, leaders in the school developed a districtwide policy to address this issue.

Currently, Edwardsburg is one of the few school districts in the area that employs a behavior specialist at each building. Behavior specialists are available to help students deal directly with many issues, including problems connected with bullying.

Since the inception of the schools’ anti-bullying policies, behavior specialists, with the support and cooperation of administration and teaching staff, have continued to address the issue of bullying through class meetings, social skill groups, parent nights, individual work with students and various leadership programs.