WHP TV Comes to the Parent Seminar

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WHP TV Comes to the Parent Seminar
On April 2, in reaction to a parent's call to the Bob Durgin radio talk show on WHP AM 580, a WHP TV camera crew and reporter, Crissandra Spencer, came to the Dauphin County Technical School (DCTS) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to see firsthand how DCTS's Parent Seminar responds to bullies.

The "Problem-Solving - Anger" session scheduled for the Monday evening class included information directly focused on the issue of school bullying. Citing recent examples of student shootings in Colorado, California and Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Mr. Larry Evans, the DCTS ninth-grade facilitator, provided parents and reporters with valuable insights into the causes and profile of anger that can lead to bullying behaviors.

Mr. Evans portrayed the physical effects of anger on the body; the "Fight or Flight" response, and illustrated how our anger comes from real, though inappropriately expressed, feelings of caring and need. Says Evans, "The opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference."

Mr. Evans detailed the various reactions to anger including agressive, passive and passive-aggressive tendencies. He further demonstrated techniques, including physical exercise and relaxation through controlled breathing and Autogenic training, to cope with and reduce our own anger events.

Evans stressed that each of us has likely, at one time or another, been bullied by someone else, but that, just as likely, each of us, through our anger, has also been a bully to someone else. When we disrepect others -- our spouses, our children, our co-workers and friends -- we ourselves can become bullies, even to those we love. It is important, therefore, to see the hypocrisy in bullying a bully while failing to acknowledge the bully within each of us.

Some presented techniques for handling putdowns from bullies include:

Step #1 - Say to myself:
> Think: "The person giving the putdown has a problem."

Step #2 - Use positive self-talk to create positive feelings:
> Think: "I like my..." or "I can do..." or "I'm not perfect, but OK"

Step #3 - Make a positive statement to them in response to their putdown.
> Say: "I like my..." or "I can do..." or "I'm not perfect, but OK"

Step #4 - Later, ask self "Did I do/say anything to "invite" them to put me down?"
> If so, you may want to apologize and ask their forgiveness.

A televised interview with John Borland, a parent and Parent Seminar graduate disabled with Cerebral Palsy from birth, pointed out how even our innocent, but less than respectful behavior towards others can lead individuals to feel they have been bullied.

News spots from the report aired April 2, 2001in the Harrisburg area on WHP TV channel 21 and WLYH channel 15.

-- John Borland --

Affective Skills Web Site

Last Modified: March 21, 2003