LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Children who bully their peers are more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs, have criminal convictions and abuse others as adults according to StopBullying.gov.
Louisville Metro Police Department and Jefferson County Public Schools are working together to educate elementary students on the effects of bullying.
Fern Creek Elementary School fifth graders are preparing to graduate from a six-week course addressing bullying.
They learned about being a helpful person and to avoid gang involvement. It’s a lesson LMPD Officer Ricardo Grider says can help curb gang violence.
He said, “Educate our families, educate their child, educate the parents. I mean so much education in that. And we just need to fight for it and keep fighting.”
Grider was a school resource officer (SRO) until 2018, when the position was eliminated.
But after fostering relationships with the students, he wanted to continue building trust within the community.
“I’m trying to gain a rapport back with the police officers. We lost that a while back. And some kids are scared of police. I don’t want a child to be scared of police. I’m here to help you. To help you in any way is possible,” Grider said.
The G.R.E.A.T. program—Gang Resistance Education and Training—is a nationwide program helping to teach children the importance of doing the right thing and standing up for others and themselves.
Fern Creek Elementary School adopted the program last year and principal Tonya Arnold says she has seen behavior in students improve.
“We have students…I’ve seen them setting boundaries for themselves, explaining their boundaries to other students and allowing them to understand it is not okay if you treat me this way,” Arnold said.
She added, “And so just instead of becoming a victim, they’ve learned how to stand up for themselves, but also stand up for other people.”
Six-million children have participated in the program nationwide.
G.R.E.A.T. also helps students and law enforcement officers build strong relationships within the community.