Senator Ritchie Gives Students 'Strength' With Anti-Bullying Funding

As National Bullying Prevention month continues, State Senator Patty Ritchie is announcing she has delivered $5,000 in special funding to bolster anti-bullying efforts in the Thousand Islands Central School District.

“All students should be able to feel comfortable and safe while in school and not have to worry about being victims of  mental, emotional or physical bullying,” said Senator Ritchie.

“Funding I was able to secure will allow the Thousand Islands Central School District to continue to provide students with the tools and guidance needed to treat others with respect and stop instances of bullying in and out of the classroom.”

Funding secured by Senator Ritchie will help the Thousand Islands Central School District continue to utilize the “Sources of Strength” program, a comprehensive wellness initiative that brings together adults and students—who act as “peer mentors”—to reduce instances of bullying, violence and suicide.

“Bullying, whether it be physical actions or vicious anonymous taunts on social networking sites, can be extremely harmful to students of all ages,” said Michael Bashaw, Superintendent  of the Thousand Islands Central School District.

“Our school district works hard to create an environment for students that is free from bullying and allows students to concentrate on learning. We are extremely grateful to Senator Ritchie for this funding that allows this program to continue and grow.”

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of  Education, 22 percent of students in grades 6-12 in the United States have experienced some form of bullying. Other studies have found that school- based prevention programs—like Sources of Strength—decrease bullying by up to 25 percent.