School Addresses Cyber-Bullying with Healthy Choices Series

posted on March 29, 2014 

The statistics are in. It’s clear that an increasing Internet activity has led to a serious increase in online bullying, particularly among young people.

Today, more than half of students say that they have been bullied online and the majority of those victims don’t tell a parent or trusted adult.

Red Cloud Indian School’s counselors have stood up to this challenge of the digital age and crafted a series of events over the spring semester to address cyber-bullying and other critical issues facing today’s youth.

“Suicide is a real issue on the reservation,” says freshman Mariah. “In the presentation about cyberbullying we heard a story of a girl who almost took her own life because she was bullied so badly.”

“I know cyber bullying happens a lot on the reservation and maybe if people talked about how to address it more, we could prevent it.”

Braydon, another freshman at Red Cloud, agrees with Mariah. “I don’t think people realize how serious cyberbullying is,” he says. “You can do so much with computers today with Photoshop and Facebook. People think they’re just playing around, but it can really hurt someone.”

Braydon and Mariah both feel that the counseling department’s presentations helped them to understand ways to avoid cyberbullying and to address it if they do see it happening.

“In recent years we’ve held a week of events and presentations on healthy living, which have proven to increase healthy behavior in our students,” explains Joe Fleishman, S.J., one of Red Cloud High School’s counselors. “However, many new studies show that these healthy behaviors tend to fade as time goes on.”

“Instead of waiting 51 weeks for the next series, we’ve decided to spread our programs out over a semester,” Joe continues. “The idea is to build upon the each presentation and ensure that the students continue to think about healthy choices throughout the year.”

Following each day of presentations, students had the opportunity to reflect during their spiritual formation classes. Whether journaling or considering the moral implications of bullying or drunk driving, students were asked to engage with the topics directly.

Young people on the Pine Ridge Reservation face a multitude of social and economic challenges. Red Cloud encourages students to focus on building healthy minds and bodies in class, in sports and wellness activities, and through one-on-one sessions with the dedicated counseling staff at the school. For Joe, these new presentations fit perfectly with Red Cloud’s mission.

The teachers and administrators at Red Cloud, a Jesuit institution, believe students are able to flourish through a holistic approach to education, drawing from one of the major tenets of Ignatian spirituality. Cura personalis, or ‘care of the whole person,’ Joe notes, is incorporated into every class and every aspect of education at the school. “Many schools focus on teaching facts and knowledge to students. At Red Cloud we approach a student’s education with the goal of developing the mind, body and spirit.”

In addition to cyber-bullying, the Healthy Choices series included presentations on suicide prevention and drug and alcohol addiction. Students heard directly from guest speakers, including a community member who has struggled with addiction and representatives from Oglala Sioux Public Safety, who addressed drugs, alcohol and safe driving habits.

“I know how it feels to be with people who text and drive—it’s scary,” says Braydon. “After these presentations I felt sort of empowered to speak up and tell my friends to cut it out and pay attention. In the presentation they say that no text is important enough to die for; if you really need to send a text, just pull over. That really stuck with me.”

Braydon notes that while he already knew about some of the dangers of bullying, drugs and driving, he hadn’t fully considered how things beyond his control could harm him and his friends.

“Most people know that you should wear your seatbelt when you’re driving. But sometimes passengers don’t think about buckling up or you think that you’re with a safe driver,” says Braydon. “But you know, there’s a lot of wildlife out here and if you have slam on the breaks for a deer, you could go through the windshield!”

When I left at the end of the day I thought to myself as soon as I got in the car: “Put your seatbelt on, Braydon.”

On two different occasions throughout the series, counselors provided students with surveys to share if they were feeling depressed or suicidal, or if they knew someone struggling with drugs or alcohol use. “We received a lot of good self-referrals through that process,” said Joe. “Some really productive counseling work has come out of this process so far.”

As a result of the Healthy Choices series, students have been closely examining their own health and that of their community. Many have stood up to the harsh realities of the reservation and taken a stand to live a healthier life.

“I’m 14 years old and I’m drug and alcohol free,” says Mariah. “I’m proud of it! I focus on school and sports, and I don’t need drugs and alcohol to get through life.”

All Content, ©Red Cloud Indian School, 2014