Valley United Way Funds Three Anti-Bullying Programs

The Valley United Way awarded three grants totaling $8,200 to help anti-bullying programs in the lower Valley.

School bullying — and its affect on children — has become a major issue in the education field.

Bully,” a documentary released March 30, has brought a ton of attention to the issue.

The critically-acclaimed documentary profiles children who are bullied — and the sometimes clueless response from adults. Click here for a review of the movie from the N.Y. Times.

Click the video to see a preview for the film, which, as of April 4, was playing in New York and Los Angeles only. 

The grants awarded by the Valley United Way will fund anti-bullying programs in Ansonia, Derby and Shelton.

Here’s the list, provided by the Valley United Way:

  • Girl Scouts: $4,000 for the Girlz R.U.L.E., an anti-bullying Program at Prendergast and Mead Schools in Ansonia
  • Derby Youth Service Bureau: $3,000 for their Bullying Education and Prevention Program” at the Derby Middle School and Derby High School
  • Shelton Youth Service Bureau: $1,200 for the S.T.A.M.P. Out Bullying Program” at the Perry Hill School in Shelton

A survey from the Valley Substance Abuse Action Council showed that 55 percent of local seventh graders and 47 percent of high school juniors had reported being subjected to some form of bullying. 

Click here to read the source report.

About 80 percent of local eleventh-grade students reported that they had been verbally threatened, according to the survey.

There is no exact definition for bullying, but the report suggests that the issue needs further investigation,” Jack Walsh, the president and C.O.O. of the Valley United Way, said in a prepared statement.

The three grants will cover programs covering students in grammar, middle and high schools in the Valley. 

School staff members will also benefit from the programs as the programs will help them in the development of anti-bullying resources for intervention and prevention. 

The three programs will report back at the end of the year on their results, according to a statement from the Valley United Way.

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