Bullying is not a new phenomenon. It has been around for decades, but schools across South Florida are reporting that the frequency and severity of the incidents are getting worse. In the past year alone, a West Palm Beach student was attacked in math class and a Deerfield Beach middle school student slipped into a comma after being kicked in the head.
South Florida is realizing the impact of bullying and the need to act against it. In 2008, the Florida Legislature passed an anti-bullying law that requires schools to have better prevention and reporting methods in place. Recently, students at Nova High School in Davie performed an original musical based on the students’ experiences with bullying.
But bullying is a hard subject to talk about. That’s why we turned over the microphone to students at North Miami Senior High School, who had previously worked with Under the Sun on a youth radio project. Listen as they talk to each other about their experiences and their advice for dealing with bullying.
Special thanks goes to North Miami High School Adult Education Principal Jean Coty Ridore; Richemonde Domond; Coach Pierre Louis; the teachers and administrators of the 21st Century Afterschool Program; Angela Rodriguez, director of the Miami-Dade 21st Century Program; and North Miami High School Principal Michael Lewis.