Tom Thelen, creator of the Victimproof Bullying Prevention Program, will speaker to Mansfield Senior High freshmen and parents on Jan. 22. A nationally
recognized authority on bullying prevention and youth motivational speaker will
visit Mansfield Senior High School this month.
Tom Thelen
is the founder of the Victimproof Bully Prevention Program, a curriculum that
helps kids speak up to bullying and become a positive influence at their
school.
Thelen will speak to freshmen students throughout the day on Monday, Jan. 22, then conduct a 7 p.m. session for parents and other community members.
Assistant
Principal Andrew Schiefer, who directs Senior High’s freshman academy, said
Thelen will bring a timely and impactful message.
“We are
doing everything we can to eliminate bullying to create a safe environment for our
students, but so much happens outside the walls of our building,” Schiefer
said. “Having Tom give our students tools that they can use into adulthood and
in the real world to combat bullying will resonate for everyone.
“Combining
Tom’s message with follow-up and support from the community, we can do more to
make our students feel safe. We want to send a message to our parents and
students that we want to end bullying within our school entirely.”
Thelen, the
author of “Victimproof – The Student’s “Guide to End Bullying,” has spoken at
more than 500 schools, colleges and youth organizations. He has been featured
on FOX, CBS, PBS and at The National Association of Student Councils.
“A new study
by the U.S. Department of Education shows that 30 percent of sixth-graders
experience bullying on a regular basis,” Thelen said. “And by the time they
reach 12th grade that number is reduced to 15 percent, which is
still way too high. If we’re ever going to reduce bullying, we have to give
kids practical skills for how to handle it and how to get help.”
Schiefer
said parents play a key role.
“It’s just
as important for our parents and community to hear Tom’s message as well,”
Schiefer said. “We want to be partners with parents and this is a great way to
start a conversation with their children about bullying, whether they are the
victim of bullying or the bully.
“We all want
what’s best for our kids and this is a good way to start.”
Thelen, a
victim of bullying as a young student, credits a teacher who stepped in and helped
him develop the character needed to break free from bullying.
“It was a
total change of mindset,” he said. “I used to carry grudges with anyone who
would bully me, but I learned that bitterness was only bringing me down. The
thing that changed my life was realizing that my response was totally up to me
and even if I was victimized I didn’t have to stay a victim forever.”