Published: October 10, 2008 11:13 am            

Bullying program goes statewide | Locally developed initiative used as model

We always say we do things better in the Cambria-Somerset region than they do anywhere else in the state.

We have further proof, as an anti-bullying program developed here is now the model for all of Pennsylvania.

The “HALT! Bullying Prevention Program” was developed through the support of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and under the leadership of Dr. Matthew Masiello.

The in-school effort includes training for school staffers – teachers, aides, nurses and anyone else who might come in contact with students. The staffers are taught how to recognize bullying situations, and how to react if they encounter those problems.

Masiello described the impact in schools as “a change of culture.”

Masiello said the concept was developed in Norway and introduced locally in 2001. Initial partners include the Cambria County Child and Adolescent Health and Wellness Council and Conemaugh Health System.

Forest Hills School District got things rolling locally with its version of the anti-bullying program, dubbed “Rangers ROCK (Reaching Out with Compassion and Knowledge).”

Windber Research Institute joined the effort when Masiello moved there earlier this year, so the program stretches across the region and includes various agencies and health-care organizations.

The local success – a documented 50 percent reduction in bullying incidents – apparently caught the eyes of folks at the state level.

“It’s about being a good person,” Forest Hills Assistant Principal James Lashinsky said.

“Being the best you can be.”

What a fantastic program.

And what a superb example of the ingenuity and creative thinking that goes on right here in our region.

        

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