By Alex White
Staff Writer
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has recently opened a new bullying policy and intervention program for discussion. The program will effectively combat both violent and nonviolent forms of bullying through increased student empowerment and more direct administration response in a cost-effective and efficient method.
This new plan, called the Safe School Ambassadors Program, is offered by Community Matters, a nationwide corporation which boasts high success rates in other school districts.
Since 2000, the program has been successfully implemented in almost 900 schools, and Mira Costa should adopt it too.
The goal is to make students “ambassadors” of their school, who will identify bullying and prevent it at the source. They work not only with students but also parents and staff to help all members of the school environment get involved and take a proactive stance against violent and non-violent forms of bullying.
The idea of selecting students to directly intervene in and prevent instances of bullying will prove an effective tool in countering these cases.
A study conduced by Edutopia, an independent education evaluation foundation, shows the Safe School Ambassadors Program as a useful method in limiting violent and non-violent forms of bullying, with reductions up to 60% across several states.
Although the program is effective in its execution, Costa does not need as much aid as other sites in relation to violent bullying. According to Vice Principal Goy Casillas, Costa had no suspensions in all of last year due to students threatening or causing student injuries, as defined by Education Code section 48900(a).
Even though combating violent bullying is not an issue at Mira Costa, it still will work with younger children. A 2007 study conducted by Georgia State University showed increased effectiveness in violent bullying prevention programs with elementary- level students as compared to high school pupils.
However, the program will successfully deal with other forms of bullying. In the 2010-11 school year, administration suspended four students because they “engaged in [acts] of bullying, including bullying committed by means of an electronic act” (Ed Code section 48900(r)). The Safe School Ambassadors Program would take proactive steps to limit these occurrences.
Another strong point of the program is its relatively low cost. Safe School Ambassadors costs $37,000, and $10,000 will be covered by MBUSD insurance, according to district outlines.
The $27,000 price tag of the program should be seen as a bargain compared to hiring an additional guidance counselor, whose starting salary could easily top $50,000, according to current state employment projections from the California Employment Development Department.
Opponents of the proposal state that high school students will not be helped significantly by the Safe School Ambassadors Program because bullies will not be dissuaded by the reprimands of fellow students.
However, schools participating in this program have proven that simple bystander involvement is crucial in reducing and preventing multiple forms of bullying.
The MBUSD Board is scheduled to vote on the plan next month, and board President Bill Fournell has stated that the proposal will likely be passed.
The Safe School Ambassadors Program will no doubt prove an effective addition to Mira Costa’s anti-bullying agenda. It will provide a safer and more constructive learning environment with little cost to the district.
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