Letter to editor: Bullying social irony

Dear editor,
The irony of bullying is that while it is an intensely personal problem, it can only be addressed with a community-wide effort. Which is only fitting, because bullying affects the mental health and well-being of the entire community in which it occurs. For this reason, South County: United for Health (a federally funded project coordinated by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department) has provided leadership in this area and has partnered with Seneca Family of Agencies to implement anti-bullying programs in Gilroy and Morgan Hill elementary schools and expanding them to community-based organizations, including after-school programs, sports programs and health centers. The success of these programs is well documented. Studies show that school-based intervention programs reduce bullying by more than 20% and pay for themselves if they can prevent just two students from leaving or transferring schools because of bullying. When we intervene at multiple levels, by aligning teachers, parents, students and the community with proven anti-bullying strategies and mental health supports, we can create an inclusive no-bullying culture. We salute South County: United for Health and partners for their leadership in thinking broadly about the impact of inclusive and positive school culture and climate on students’ success and well-being.
Sincerely,
Ken Berrick, CEO
Seneca Family of Agencies