NEWS

From victim to activist, Tallahassee student runs against bullying

Amanda Claire Curcio
Democrat staff writer

There were days when Spencer Amsellem would walk the crowded school halls feeling totally alone. A part of him wished he were invisible, that his presence would be lost in the slamming of locker doors, the squeaky scuffles of sneaker-clad feet and the whir of conversations heard above the general clatter in between class periods. But, he also wanted someone to notice what he was going through.

Spencer, now an eighth-grader at Deerlake Middle School, is one of thousands of students who has reported being bullied. The verbal bullying began in elementary school – in the hallways, on the playground and even in class – and continued in middle school, but something changed in the last year. Spencer has gone from victim to activist.

Spencer Amsellem, who used to be bullied, said that he is trying to stand up for kids who cannot and empower other students to help.

"I used to feel like it was just me, that I was the only one experiencing this," Spencer said. "Later, I realized that bullying happens almost everywhere and to a lot of other kids, too.

"I decided I wanted to be someone who stands up against bullying – in a positive way," he added. "I wanted to let people know they can speak up."

Spencer is advocating the end of bullying at the local level.

As part of a faith-based project with Temple Israel, he created a running event, starting at 8 a.m. on Oct. 3, to mark the beginning of National Bullying Prevention month. Proceeds will go to local schools and PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, a nonprofit that offers information and educational toolkits about bullying and encourages people to raise awareness about the issue. More information about Spencer's event can be found online, at www.spencersrunagainstbullying.com.

Educators say student-led initiatives, like Spencer's run, is a more effective way to send the message about the importance of stopping bullying.

"The traditional anti-bullying lessons are helpful and we will continue to teach them," said Leon County Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons. "But we can't just carry on with what we have been doing in the past. We need to break up that routine. This is a serious issue that can affect every child."

Pons recently developed a task force that aims to improve anti-bullying measures district-wide. The group, consisting of parents, principals, LCS administrators, teachers, community members, and soon, a handful of students – Spencer was one of the students recruited – meets twice a month after school.

The first step, said Pons, was to identify what each school was doing to address bullying and to evaluate whether it was working. The task force sifted through all the procedures to come up with best practices. For instance, students in the district signed an anti-bullying pledge, administrators handed out pamphlets to parents that listed signs of cyber-bullying and schools organized anti-bullying poster contests in which students could receive prizes based on their creativity and positive messages.

They noticed that activities were "more powerful" when led by students.

LCS is tweaking an anti-bullying certification to be implemented by the end of October. Each school would be evaluated on its anti-bullying initiatives, especially the quantity and quality of student-directed projects. The district's plan is posted on the Department of Education's website as a exemplar, but task force members want to build upon the plan already in place.

"When we start celebrating the students who take a stand, then we will see an even bigger change in bullying awareness," Pons said. "I salute Spencer. His leadership will inspire others. He is teaching his peers that they can all be a part of this. They can come up with ideas that will make a difference."

What data tells us about bullying, steps taken

There were 3,819 bullying incidents in Florida in the 2013-2014 school year – 120 of which occurred in Leon County, typically in middle school, according to Department of Education figures. But what is happening in schools beyond those simple numbers, which are collected in DOE's annual School Environmental Safety Incident Reports, is unclear.

Questions like: who reported the bullying; what disciplinary action was taken; was it a case of verbal or physical harassment or social exclusion; and what was the age/race/ethnicity/sex of students involved, remain.

Reported Bullying

The number of bullying incidents is also most likely higher than DOE tallies.

"Many kids are afraid or embarrassed about saying anything," Spencer said, "so teachers and principals don't know it is happening when it really is."

Even when bullying is reported, the incident may not meet the state's criteria of bullying, which is defined as: "systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment; or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation."

LCS surveys show there is a divide in how parents, teachers and students rate their schools' climate.

For instance, Spencer and his parents reported that he was bullied several times while attending Hawks Rise Elementary School, but DOE records show there were no bullying incidents at the school from 2010 to 2014. The Amsellems did say that the principal handled the bullying incidents well, after they were reported.

Some Big Bend counties do not provide DOE with any information, like Franklin and Jefferson counties in the 2012-2013 school year, or say there were no incidents all year, such as Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty and Taylor counties.

DOE notes these discrepancies and offers additional training to a district in question, but does not modify its numbers, said Cheryl Etters, spokeswoman for the agency.

"If the district chooses not to make changes, even after staff contacts them, that is their decision," Etters said. "While there are guidelines and instructions on how to report the data that all districts and schools are supposed to use, we know it isn't always consistent."

In addition to bullying reports, a compilation of LCS climate surveys highlights discrepancies in how parents, teachers and students rate a school's environment. Across the board, students felt that a school had a less positive climate than teachers and parents, usually by 10 points or more.

Positive School Climate Survey Results

"The difference here is not that teachers are ignoring a problem, but that kids think that teachers see things they probably don't," said Rosanne Wood, retired principal of SAIL High School principal. "That is why creating an atmosphere where kids feel safe enough to talk to an adult is crucial."

Wood's top priority while leading SAIL was fostering a welcoming environment where students felt protected. The entire staff received extra sensitivity training, which taught them how to look for signs of bullying and indicators for potential incidents. Programs and curriculum were designed to celebrate difference. SAIL staff exercised "hyper-vigilance," Wood said.

SAIL High School staff constantly celebrate difference, which has resulted in a more positive school climate, says Rosanne Wood, the school's retired principal.

"Classes about bullying prevention is absolutely beneficial, but that is not enough," she said. "Students need to role-play it and they need to see it. The adults set the tone at the school. They need to give students a sense of belonging and a sense of respect for who they are.

"When kids get the feeling that they are not on the defensive," she added, "they can be more open to learning. Then the academic achievement will follow."

The idea of a safe space for kids did not just apply to victims, but to students exhibiting bullying behaviors, too. Bullies are acting out their insecurities, she said, so figuring out why the behavior is happening and not just reacting to it is important.

This school year, Hartsfield Elementary School adopted a trauma-sensitive, also known as a trauma-informed, educational approach, which explicitly addresses the social-emotional needs of students constantly stuck in a mode of fight, flight or fright stemming from severe experiences, like sexual abuse, witnessing violence and homelessness. At a trauma-sensitive school, educators dig deeper to figure out why misbehaviors occur, rather than dole out punishments. Schools in Massachusetts and Washington report that implementing the model decreased bullying.

A call to action

It has taken years for Spencer to get where he is today, but he says he is lucky. He has not been in a physical fight and was able to find his voice along the way – something that many bullying victims have been unable to do.

Spencer Ansellem, an eighth-grader at Deerlake Middle, created a run to end bullying and to raise money for local schools.

Spencer has already raised nearly $7,000, through a GoFundMe page, in donations for scholarships and $1,000 in pledges to complete a 100-mile training program. And while he is grateful for the support, he remains focused on what is at stake – the lives of the children who, he said, have it worse than him.

About 4,400 young people take their own lives each year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics. For every suicide, there are 100 or more suicide attempts. A Yale University study found that victims of bullying are up to nine times more likely to consider suicide.

His parents have watched an emboldened Spencer emerge during his project. They, too, advocate for increased awareness.

"We need to have more open conversations about this," said his father, Phil Amsellem. "And not just a week-long or month-long conversation. Bullying affects kids more personally; they take these attacks close to heart. They're still developing the skills to cope and understand what is true about themselves."

As Spencer joins other race participants, along a course that ribbons through the rolling hills and past the jeweled ponds of Bull Run, a neighborhood in northern Leon County, he is running for those who cannot, for those who feel unheard and for those who have the chance to make a difference.

Information about Spencer's Run Against Bullying

Website: www.spencersrunagainstbullying.com
Time: Oct. 3, 1-miler at 8 a.m., 5K at 8:30 a.m.
Location: 5555 Roanoke Trail, off Thomasville Road
There will be a silent auction after the run, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.