Peabody students step up to prevent abusive behavior toward others in school

PEABODY – Several students at Higgins Middle School have taken a lead role in the fight to end bullying and teasing as part of the nationally recognized No Name-Calling Week, which concludes Friday.For the past several weeks, students have worked under the guidance of Janice Melanson, co-coordinator of the social awareness group A World of Difference (AWOD), to promote the project that began just three years ago. With hand-made posters, pins, and daily announcements over the loudspeaker, this group of students has been very busy.”We want to remind people every day to keep hurtful words to yourself,” said seventh-grader Hannah Johnson. “Most of us know how it feels to be bullied. It can cause some people to be afraid to come to school.””The Misfits,” a young adult novel by author James Howe, was the inspiration behind No-Name Calling Week three years ago. It’s a story about a group of best friends who are constantly teased by their seventh grade peers. Tired of the bullying, the friends create “No Name-Calling Day.””The Misfits” and many other similar books are currently on display at the library in correlation with No-Name Calling Week, the school’s Acceptance Month, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”There’s a lot of momentum here to make this (movement) grow,” said Library Media Specialist Sudi Smoller, who selected the books included. “I’m happy there’s a marked interest here.”The Anti-Defamation League, which oversees training for AWOD club members, had yellow buttons made for each student featuring this year’s slogan: “I Don’t Put Up With Put-downs.” The group plans to hand buttons out to all homeroom classes Thursday morning, along with a memo explaining the meaning behind it.”This pin represents your ability to not call people names. Take into consideration that we’re not asking you to change as a person, but to change your view of others,” the memo reads.”It’s so important for us to get along,” said Kristen McLaughlin, also a seventh grader. “No one should be left alone?Everyone should be friendly with each other.”Teachers, staff, and fellow students recommended the 28 to be trained with AWOD for their diverse backgrounds and leadership potential, said Melanson. The students will begin their main responsibility, speaking with sixth-graders about the negative effects of racism, sexism, and name-calling, next month. Melanson hopes her students will facilitate peer-to-peer conversations that would otherwise be hard to have.”I’m excited,” said eighth-grader Caitlyn Tran. “It’s interesting how much you can teach the younger kids.””I hope to be a role model for our younger peers,” said AWOD member Sara Barrett. “I want to teach them to respect each other for who they are. It’s what’s on the inside that matters.”