1. Brian and Lorraine Hess | | April 3, 2016
Bullied to Warrior Strong!!!
EMPOWERING THE VICTIM

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Introduction
Each year, students across the nation return for their first day of school. For many of these
students it is a chance to meet up with friends and talk about their summer, rekindle relationships,
and even meet new students however, for other students it is a much different feeling. It is a place
where they do not feel safe, where they feel isolated, alone, and as if they do not belong. For some
of these individuals they did not even return to school, “Two 11-year-olds commit suicide in Fort
Collins; one family blames bullying” (Michels, 2015), “Bullied teen dies by suicide, mom says schools
attitude was ‘Toughen up’” (Cruz, 2015). Truth is, each year many students are bullied for
numerous reasons, and it has become such an issue that it has been addressed by President Obama
and the First Lady Michelle Obama. With this in mind let’s take a closer look at bullying, and a
solution not many people are talking about.
Statistics
Numerous studies have been conducted on the topic of bullying. They can include many
different age groups and many different categories. One can find studies on elementary students
all the way to high school students, and can see categories such as disabilities, sexual orientation,
race, and even the way students dress. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, “One
out of every four students (22%) report being bullied during the school year”. (Unknown, 2015). It
has also been reported, “The reasons for being bullied reported most often by students were looks
(55%), body shape (37%), and race (16%)”. (Unknown, 2015).
When it comes to looks and body shape, one might often be able to combine some of these
numbers as looks can often come from one’s body shape. Many people will refer to individuals as
overweight or underweight, and their appearance can often reflect this as well. When one takes a
closer look at the numbers on bullying as it relates to weight one would find the following, “In a
recent national survey of overweight sixth graders, 24 percent of the boys and 30 percent of the
girls experienced daily teasing, bullying or rejection because of their size. The number doubles for
overweight high school students with 58 percent of boys and 63 percent of girls experiencing daily
teasing, bullying or rejection because of their size.” (Stevelos, 2016). So what is going on with
bullying?
Bullying in 2016
Many students who are bullied are impacted in many different ways. Having been
physically harmed by others punching, slapping, or kicking, or emotionally harmed by cyber-
bullying or verbal assaults, these victims will often react in many different ways. “Victims often feel
depressed, sad, lonely, alienated, ostracized, angry, powerless, anxious and fearful.” (Stevelos, 2016).
These feelings can lead to a negative impact on their school performance and involvement as well,
“…children and teens who are bullied may tend to avoid school or playgrounds, thereby decreasing
the quality of their educational and recreational experiences.” (Stevelos, 2016).
In 2010 President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama held a conference on bullying at
the White House which brought together many different individuals. These individuals included

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teachers, students, different advocates, and even members of congress. Since the conference many
different actions have begun to take place. The website StopBullying.gov was relaunched allowing
many individuals access to resources related to bullying. The Department of Education “…issued
guidance to schools, colleges, and universities, making it clear that existing civil rights laws apply to
bullying.” (Jarrett, 2012). Congress had also been presented with the Student Non-Discrimination
Act, and the Safe Schools Improvement Act.
When one looks at all of these actions one will notice many of the steps taken have
centered on the bully. It is an attempt to show the seriousness of the issue and what consequences
the bully may face. It also centers on the schools and how the school should take a zero tolerance
approach to bullying. While all of these steps maybe necessary and may have an impact on the war
against bullying, is there another area one could focus efforts? We feel the other area to really
focus on is that of the victim, which is the reason we have designed the program Bullied to Warrior
Strong.
Bullied to Warrior Strong Program
This 12-week program is designed to educate and empower the victim. It will teach victims
of bullying the importance of a healthy lifestyle while also teaching them social skills they may have
lost due to lack of interaction. It will assist in building up their self-esteem as they will work
through many challenges and overcome fears they may have. It is our hope, over a 12-week period
of time, they will develop strong social skills, their physical appearance, and a strong sense of self.
The program will have the following three areas of focus: Self-Empowerment, Social Skills, and
Physical Fitness. Here is a closer look into each of the categories.
Self-Empowerment
Often time’s individuals who have been bullied for a long period of time start to feel a
diminished sense of self-esteem. For years, they have felt as if they do not belong, or as if there is
nobody who believes in them. They are placed into situations that only further solidify these
thoughts on a daily basis. It may take place in gym class where teams are being chosen and they
are picked last and students make comments stating “Ha, you got stuck with __________.” Or it
may take place in the lunchroom when they attempt to sit at a table and others stand up and leave.
These are all situations that impact a student emotionally. Through the program Bullied to
Warrior Strong we are going to have the students perform self-evaluations and focus on changing
their negative thoughts into positive thoughts about themselves. Together students will find their
strengths and really focus on changing how they view themselves.

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Social Skills
Many of the students one may encounter in this program have been bullied for many years.
They have already started to withdraw from interacting with others, and may have already isolated
themselves. In the Bullied to Warrior Strong program, victims will receive training each week, and
have “homework” which will focus on developing social skills and build up their self-esteem. “Self-
esteem also is a protective factor against bullying because kids are less likely to pick on those who
are confident and in control.” (Gordon, 2016) After the first few weeks, we will introduce them to
other students who are also in the program. We will hold group discussions, group workouts, and
engage in some team building activities so the students may develop a circle of friends. This will
allow them to realize they are not alone. “Healthy friendships are also a protective factor when it
comes to bullying. In fact, even just one friend can go a long way in bully-proofing your child.”
(Gordon, 2016)
Physical Fitness
At the start of the program we will pair up with an individual student and issue them a
WOSS suspension system. The first few weeks will be spent one-on-one training with the student
on the proper use and techniques of the system. Students will be required to perform workouts at
home with the system as well. After the first few weeks we will then integrate the system and
students into group workouts and focus on positive encouragement. As students’ progress through
the program we will take photos, so students will be able to see their progress and it will allow us to
ensure the program is establishing results. As time goes on, we will then introduce the student to
another member in the program from their school. At the end of each week we will sit with the
students on a one-on-one and discuss their results and how they felt the week progressed.
Conclusion
As students go through the program, we will ask that they maintain a journal in which they
would document their feelings. We will also require the students to write down different successes
they have seen throughout the weeks and throughout the programs. We will document their
journey to show the steps they have taken and the gains they have made. Once a student
completes the course it would be important they remain involved as a mentor for other students
entering into the process. The graduate will also be informed that even though the program is
complete, they will always have access to us as they continue on throughout life. It is our focus to
reduce the impact in school bullying by empowering the victim through education, and physical
fitness. We will remain focused as we transform these students from “Bullied to Warrior Strong”!

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References
Cruz, E. (2015, May 09). Advocate. Retrieved from
http://www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2015/05/09/bullied-teen-dies-suicide-mom-says-
school-told-daughter-toughen
Gordon, S. (2016, Feburary 10). 7 Ways to Build Social Skillsand Prevent Bullying. Retrieved from
AboutHealth.com: http://bullying.about.com/od/Schools/a/7-Ways-To-Build-Social-Skills-
And-Prevent-Bullying.htm
Jarrett, V. (2012, April 20). Ending Bullying in Our Schools and Communities. Retrieved from White
House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/20/ending-bullying-our-schools-
communities
Michels, A. (2015, November 23). Fox 31 Denver. Retrieved from http://kdvr.com/2015/11/23/two-11-
year-olds-commit-suicide-in-fort-collins-family-of-one-blames-bullying/
Stevelos, J. (2016). Bullying, Bullycide and Childhood Obesity. Retrieved from Obesity Action
Coalition: http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-
2/childhood-obesity-resource-articles/bullying-bullycide-and-childhood-obesity
Unknown. (2015). Bullying Statistics. Retrieved from National Bullying Prevention Center:
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/about/media-kit/stats.asp