Md. Attorney General Teams Up With Schools To Track Bullies

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Bystanders and upstanders may be one way to win the battle on bullying at Maryland schools.

As Gigi Barnett reports, Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler is teaming up with teachers and students to track bullies.

"All of this name calling and pushing made me feel horrible. I went home in tears, wondering why they couldn't accept me for who I was," said a student.

They're hard stories to tell but Wednesday, several students at the Baltimore Design School relived their encounters with bullies. It's all part of a special presentation called No More Bullies.

"I've been called so many names, it's unbelievable. I've been called fat, ugly, stupid, dirty..." said another student.

But when that name calling moves to the social websites, it's cyberbullying--which is a crime in Maryland.

That's why Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler visited the students to encourage those who see bullying in the hallway and online to speak up.

"Yes, the Internet shrouds you in anonymity. On the other hand, it's often easy to figure out who is the bully and to identify that person and have consequences," Gansler said.

The program also featured parents of bullied teens, like Chris McComas. Her 15-year-old daughter Grace committed suicide after she was constantly bullied online.

"This is real. This isn't just kind of fake teasing and there is a real emotional component for children," Gansler said.

The No More Bullies program was sponsored by the nonprofit group Facing History and Ourselves.

Other Local News: