“A Baby Changes Everything”
by Faith Hill
And So We Celebrate His Coming
Merry Christmas
Dec 19, 2010
Dec 12, 2010
Man Arrested After Ejaculating During TSA Pat-Down
According to Cummings’ partner, Sergio Armani, Cummings has “multiple piercings on his manhood” which were detected during a full body scan. As a result, Cummings was pulled aside for a pat-down. Armani stated that the unidentified TSA agent spent “an inordinate amount of time groping” Cummings, who had apparently become sexually aroused. Cummings, who has a history of sexual dysfunction, ejaculated while the TSA agent’s hand was feeling the piercings. The TSA agent, according to several witnesses, promptly called for back up. Cummings was thrown to the ground and handcuffed.
A TSA spokesperson declined to comment on this specific case, but said that anyone ejaculating during a pat-down would be subject to arrest. –Dead Serious News
Electric Fence
We have the standard 6ft. fence in the backyard, and a few months ago, I heard about burglaries increasing dramatically in the entire city.
To make sure this never happened to me, I got an electric fence and ran a single wire along the top of the fence. Actually, I got the biggest cattle charger Tractor Supply had, made for 26 miles of fence. I then used an 8 ft. long ground rod, drove 7.5 feet into the ground. The ground rod is the key, with the more you have in the ground, the better the fence works.
One day I'm mowing the back yard with my cheapo Wal-Mart 6hp bigwheel pushmower. The hot wire is broken and laying out in the yard. I knew for a fact that I unplugged the charger. I pushed the mower around the wire and reached down to grab it, to throw it out of the way. It seems as though I hadn't remembered to unplug it after all.
Now I'm standing there, I've got the running lawnmower in my right hand and the 1.7 gigavolt fencewire in the other hand. Keep in mind the charger is about the size of a marine battery and has a picture of an upside down cow on fire on the cover. Time stood still. The first thing I notice is my balls trying to climb up the front side of my body. My ears curled downwards and I could feel the lawnmower ignition firing in the backside of my brain. Every time that Briggs & Stratton rolled over, I could feel the spark in my head. I was literally at one with the engine. It seems as though the fence charger and the POS lawnmower were fighting over who would control my electrical impulses.
Science says you cannot crap, pee, and nut at the same time. I beg to differ. Not only did I do all three at once, but my bowels emptied 3 different times in less than half of a second. It was a Matrix kind of bowel movement, where time is creeping along and you're all leaned back and BAM BAM BAM you just crap your pants 3 times. It seemed like there were minutes in between but in reality it was so close together it was like exhaust pulses from a big block Chevy turning 8 grand.
At this point I'm about 30 minutes (maybe 2 seconds) into holding onto the fence wire. My hand is wrapped around the wire palm down so I cant let go. I grew up on a farm so I know all about electric fences... but Dad always had those POS chargers made by International or whoever that were like 9 volts and just kinda tickled. This I could not let go of. The 8 foot long ground rod is now accepting signals from me through the permadamp Ark-La-Tex river bottom soil. At this point I'm thinking I'm going to have to just man up and take it, until the lawnmower runs out of gas.
'Damn!,' I think, as I remember I just filled the tank! Now the lawnmower is starting to run rough. It has settled into a loping run pattern as if it had some kind of big lawnmower race cam in it. Covered in poop, pee, jizz, and with my balls on my chest I think 'Oh God please die... pleeeeze die'. But nooooo, it settles into the rough lumpy cam idle nicely and remains there, like a big bore roller cam EFI motor waiting for the go command from its owner's right foot.
So here I am in the middle of July, 104 degrees, 80% humidity, standing in my own backyard, begging God to kill me. God did not take me that day... he left me there covered in my own fluids to writhe in the misery my own stupidity had created.
I honestly don't know how I got loose from the wire... I woke up laying on the ground hours later. The lawnmower was beside me, out of gas. It was later on in the day and I was sunburned. There were two large dead grass spots where i had been standing, and then another long skinny dead spot were the wire had laid while I was on the ground still holding on to it. I assume I finally had a seizure and in the resulting thrashing had somehow let go of the wire. Upon waking from my electrically induced sleep I realized a few things.
1- Three of my teeth seem to have melted.
2- I now have cramps in the bottoms of my feet and my right butt cheek (not the left, just the right).
3- Poop, pee, and semen when all mixed together, do not smell as bad a you might think.
4- My left eye will not open.
5- My right eye will not close.
6- The lawnmower runs like a sumnabitch now. Seriously! I think our little session cleared out some carbon fouling or something, because it was better than new after that.
7- My balls are still smaller than average yet they are almost a foot long
8- I can turn on the TV in the gameroom by farting while thinking of the number 4 (still don't understand this?)
That day changed my life. I now have a newfound respect for things. I appreciate the little things more, and now I always triple check to make sure the fence is unplugged before I mow.
The good news, is that if a burglar does try to come over the fence, I can clearly visualize what my security system will do to him, and THAT gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over, which also reminds me to triple check before I mow.
Author Unknown
Dec 5, 2010
Bullying Doesn't End After The Last Bell - Part I
Personal note: Bullying has become such an epidemic and in posting this three part series I hope it will help spread the news that bullying is not ok, it is a crime, and to many of our young people are dying emotionally, as well as physically as a result of this horrible infliction of pain on another human being. As adults we must stand up against this epidemic and collectively put an end to this disease that is festering in our schools.
Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series examining the issue of bullying and its impact on students, parents and educators.
In the final week of the school year, Debbie Davis found out her grandson was being bullied on the bus to Ocean Bay Elementary School.
She didn't find out from him or from a school official, but from the mother of a younger boy who rode the same bus and saw three students ganging up on her grandson at the back of the vehicle.
"A child was so upset that he went to his mother, and she came to me," said Davis, whose daughter and grandson have lived with her since he was born. "I was devastated."
This year, Davis' grandson has faced more bullying on his bus ride to middle school, and Davis said that despite all the recent attention about bullying - October was National Bullying Prevention Month - "unfortunately, it is still alive and kicking." According to STOMP Out Bullying, a national anti-bullying program of nonprofit Love Our Children USA, one of four teens is bullied and a child is bullied on a playground every seven minutes.
With a spate of teen suicides linked to bullying in the national news and a recent school shooting locally, bullying and its effects have the attention not just of school officials, but of parents and of students seeking to make a difference.
With more awareness of the problem inside school buildings, spots outside of class - such as on the bus - present bullying opportunities. Computers and cell phones become portals - STOMP Out Bullying says 97 percent of middle schoolers are bullied while online - and students don't always want to talk about it, whether out of embarrassment or fear of retribution.
In Horry County, bullying came front and center after a shooting incident at Socastee High School in September. Police say a student fired at the school resource officer. Two pipe bombs also were found in the student's backpack, and according to the teen's attorney, his behavior stems from being bullied. The teen will have a detention hearing in Family Court on Friday.
Bus-bound bullying
Davis has been working with the school administration on her grandson's behalf, but she said she spoke up because she is concerned about bullying in and out of the classroom. Her grandson was reticent to report what was happening, and Davis is concerned about the impact of such incidents on children.
"Right now, kids on that bus are experiencing damage that could last a lifetime," said Davis of taunting and name-calling that her grandson and other students have experienced this year. "Have parents not talked to their kids about bullying others? ... I don't want any child to be damaged."
In the first incident, the mother told Davis that the bus driver promised to report the bullying, but when Davis contacted the school, no one had been made aware of the situation.
"Last year, [the bullying] was physical," Davis said. "There were three of them who would gang up on him. ... I think it's because he's quiet, and we just don't do violence in our house. He won't come back at them.
"The vice principal told me that because of the crackdown at the school, [the bus is] where they feel they can do it freely," she said.
This year, her grandson moved up to Ocean Bay Middle School and, when she inquired about the bus ride, he told Davis that two older students were verbally abusive to him and using extremely foul language.
"My grandson won't even tell me the words that they use, but I don't know if he's telling me the whole story," Davis said. "He is so afraid of this; he won't tell what's going on."
Davis said she had been on alert once school started and had noticed on several occasions that her grandson would come in after school, say he had a really bad day and go to his room. She wanted to put an early stop to the problem and called school officials.
Teal Britton, spokeswoman for Horry County Schools, said calling the school was an appropriate action and that parents should be persistent in bringing problems to light. She said the bus driver can be addressed directly and that each attendance area also has a bus supervisor, whom parents can find in the parent/student handbook.
"If we know and if we are aware [of a bullying problem], we are ethically bound to react," Britton said.
Britton said that school bus drivers have a tremendous amount of responsibility in operating large vehicles filled with students in hectic traffic areas and also having to be aware of what's happening in all directions, despite inherent distractions.
But the drivers also work with minimal contracts, a small amount of authority, prohibitive schedules and no paid days provided for specific training in areas other than getting their license, she said.
Britton said there are video cameras on the buses, but there is no audio to record what is said.
Bus drivers have the authority to reprimand students on the bus for disruptions, and some use systems such as assigned seating to keep order, but if a problem persists, the driver must make a formal report.
"As far as discipline, that is handed down from the base school," Britton said, which typically includes days off the bus, and parents are notified. "It is the administration's responsibility to investigate."
She said some assistant principals have ridden on routes to observe and that other students could be interviewed, but as with any situation, there has to be some verification before they can act.
"Bus transportation is a privilege," Britton said. "If students cannot manage their behavior, then they are forfeiting that privilege."
Davis said that with the elementary school incident, the boys in question were brought together with her grandson to talk. They were allowed to ride the bus home that day but were expelled from the bus for the few days left in the school year, which Davis didn't feel was adequate.
With the most recent incident, Davis' call prompted a principal to talk with her grandson and get names, while promising to reprimand the students without using his name. Davis said the reassurance didn't calm her grandson, and she even received a call from his teacher that day because the boy was so distracted in class.
Neither boy was expelled. Two days later, one was on his best behavior on the bus, while the other chose to pick on someone else, Davis said. Davis said a new bus driver also was on duty, and the driver pulled the bus over to settle the matter.
"So maybe we're getting somewhere," she said.
Britton said that if a problem on a bus escalates, there could be other consequences for an unruly student, because the bus ride is still part of their school day.
Students speak out
Some students are speaking out to raise awareness and encourage their peers not to tolerate those who abuse others.
Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series examining the issue of bullying and its impact on students, parents and educators.
In the final week of the school year, Debbie Davis found out her grandson was being bullied on the bus to Ocean Bay Elementary School.
She didn't find out from him or from a school official, but from the mother of a younger boy who rode the same bus and saw three students ganging up on her grandson at the back of the vehicle.
"A child was so upset that he went to his mother, and she came to me," said Davis, whose daughter and grandson have lived with her since he was born. "I was devastated."
This year, Davis' grandson has faced more bullying on his bus ride to middle school, and Davis said that despite all the recent attention about bullying - October was National Bullying Prevention Month - "unfortunately, it is still alive and kicking." According to STOMP Out Bullying, a national anti-bullying program of nonprofit Love Our Children USA, one of four teens is bullied and a child is bullied on a playground every seven minutes.
With a spate of teen suicides linked to bullying in the national news and a recent school shooting locally, bullying and its effects have the attention not just of school officials, but of parents and of students seeking to make a difference.
With more awareness of the problem inside school buildings, spots outside of class - such as on the bus - present bullying opportunities. Computers and cell phones become portals - STOMP Out Bullying says 97 percent of middle schoolers are bullied while online - and students don't always want to talk about it, whether out of embarrassment or fear of retribution.
In Horry County, bullying came front and center after a shooting incident at Socastee High School in September. Police say a student fired at the school resource officer. Two pipe bombs also were found in the student's backpack, and according to the teen's attorney, his behavior stems from being bullied. The teen will have a detention hearing in Family Court on Friday.
Bus-bound bullying
Davis has been working with the school administration on her grandson's behalf, but she said she spoke up because she is concerned about bullying in and out of the classroom. Her grandson was reticent to report what was happening, and Davis is concerned about the impact of such incidents on children.
"Right now, kids on that bus are experiencing damage that could last a lifetime," said Davis of taunting and name-calling that her grandson and other students have experienced this year. "Have parents not talked to their kids about bullying others? ... I don't want any child to be damaged."
In the first incident, the mother told Davis that the bus driver promised to report the bullying, but when Davis contacted the school, no one had been made aware of the situation.
"Last year, [the bullying] was physical," Davis said. "There were three of them who would gang up on him. ... I think it's because he's quiet, and we just don't do violence in our house. He won't come back at them.
"The vice principal told me that because of the crackdown at the school, [the bus is] where they feel they can do it freely," she said.
This year, her grandson moved up to Ocean Bay Middle School and, when she inquired about the bus ride, he told Davis that two older students were verbally abusive to him and using extremely foul language.
"My grandson won't even tell me the words that they use, but I don't know if he's telling me the whole story," Davis said. "He is so afraid of this; he won't tell what's going on."
Davis said she had been on alert once school started and had noticed on several occasions that her grandson would come in after school, say he had a really bad day and go to his room. She wanted to put an early stop to the problem and called school officials.
Teal Britton, spokeswoman for Horry County Schools, said calling the school was an appropriate action and that parents should be persistent in bringing problems to light. She said the bus driver can be addressed directly and that each attendance area also has a bus supervisor, whom parents can find in the parent/student handbook.
"If we know and if we are aware [of a bullying problem], we are ethically bound to react," Britton said.
Britton said that school bus drivers have a tremendous amount of responsibility in operating large vehicles filled with students in hectic traffic areas and also having to be aware of what's happening in all directions, despite inherent distractions.
But the drivers also work with minimal contracts, a small amount of authority, prohibitive schedules and no paid days provided for specific training in areas other than getting their license, she said.
Britton said there are video cameras on the buses, but there is no audio to record what is said.
Bus drivers have the authority to reprimand students on the bus for disruptions, and some use systems such as assigned seating to keep order, but if a problem persists, the driver must make a formal report.
"As far as discipline, that is handed down from the base school," Britton said, which typically includes days off the bus, and parents are notified. "It is the administration's responsibility to investigate."
She said some assistant principals have ridden on routes to observe and that other students could be interviewed, but as with any situation, there has to be some verification before they can act.
"Bus transportation is a privilege," Britton said. "If students cannot manage their behavior, then they are forfeiting that privilege."
Davis said that with the elementary school incident, the boys in question were brought together with her grandson to talk. They were allowed to ride the bus home that day but were expelled from the bus for the few days left in the school year, which Davis didn't feel was adequate.
With the most recent incident, Davis' call prompted a principal to talk with her grandson and get names, while promising to reprimand the students without using his name. Davis said the reassurance didn't calm her grandson, and she even received a call from his teacher that day because the boy was so distracted in class.
Neither boy was expelled. Two days later, one was on his best behavior on the bus, while the other chose to pick on someone else, Davis said. Davis said a new bus driver also was on duty, and the driver pulled the bus over to settle the matter.
"So maybe we're getting somewhere," she said.
Britton said that if a problem on a bus escalates, there could be other consequences for an unruly student, because the bus ride is still part of their school day.
Students speak out
Some students are speaking out to raise awareness and encourage their peers not to tolerate those who abuse others.
Patrick Kohlmann, a sophomore at St. James High School, is a teen ambassador for the Stomp Out Bullying program, and in October, he spearheaded Blue Shirt Day at St. James to get out the anti-bullying message.
"I wanted everyone to know that bullying isn't right," said Kohlmann, who said then that he had experienced bullying. "I don't want anyone to go through what I went through."
Kaitlon Camper, a senior at North Myrtle Beach High School, took action by organizing A Ride to Save Lives, a ride for motorcycles and cars to benefit suicide awareness programs and bullying prevention in schools. The event, part of Camper's senior project, was held Nov. 6 and raised just over $2,000, more than their goal, she said.
Camper said the money will go to Mental Health America of South Carolina and that she hopes the ride will become a yearly event. She said her focus for the run came after two of her friends attempted suicide in separate incidents after being bullied because they were gay.
"[Students] would talk about them behind their back and in front of them," Camper said.
She said that while some of their friends would stand up for them, others just watched, probably from fear of retribution.
Britton said more work must be done to lessen the intimidation factor for students so they will feel comfortable doing the right thing.
"We have to help instill civic responsibility in kids to stand up for themselves and others," Britton said. "Silence gives authority. Students are the most powerful deterrent to negative behavior." -Sun News
"I wanted everyone to know that bullying isn't right," said Kohlmann, who said then that he had experienced bullying. "I don't want anyone to go through what I went through."
Kaitlon Camper, a senior at North Myrtle Beach High School, took action by organizing A Ride to Save Lives, a ride for motorcycles and cars to benefit suicide awareness programs and bullying prevention in schools. The event, part of Camper's senior project, was held Nov. 6 and raised just over $2,000, more than their goal, she said.
Camper said the money will go to Mental Health America of South Carolina and that she hopes the ride will become a yearly event. She said her focus for the run came after two of her friends attempted suicide in separate incidents after being bullied because they were gay.
"[Students] would talk about them behind their back and in front of them," Camper said.
She said that while some of their friends would stand up for them, others just watched, probably from fear of retribution.
Britton said more work must be done to lessen the intimidation factor for students so they will feel comfortable doing the right thing.
"We have to help instill civic responsibility in kids to stand up for themselves and others," Britton said. "Silence gives authority. Students are the most powerful deterrent to negative behavior." -Sun News
Bullying | Officers Take Down Students' Troubles—Part II
Jennifer Herring has one biological child but says she feels like a mother to the more than 1,000 students who attend Forestbrook Middle School.
Herring, a lance corporal with the Horry County Police Department, has been assigned to the school for eight years as its school resource officer. She is among more than two dozen police officers who spend their days patrolling the hallways and grounds of area middle and high schools.
With recent events involving weapons at school and heightened attention on bullying, area authorities say the officers counsel students and prevent many incidents.
"In two years, SROs were involved in two situations that were very unsettling, but it was because of their swift actions that prevented those situations from escalating," said Teal Britton, spokeswoman for Horry County Schools.
The first of those occurred Oct. 16, 2009, when Trevor Varinecz, a 16-year-old student at Carolina Forest High School, was shot to death after police said he attacked a school resource officer in his office inside the school. In September, a school resource officer subdued a 14-year-old Socastee High School student, who remains in custody on juvenile charges that he tried to shoot the resource officer and took two pipe bombs to the school. Prosecutors want to charge the teen as an adult and will argue their case during a hearing Friday.
Bullying played a role in both cases, say those involved in the incidents. School officials have said they were not aware of specific bullying incidents involving the two students. It is also not clear whether the resource officers had previous interactions with the students.
"In the best-case scenario, an SRO is an extension of what law enforcement provides in community policing," Britton said. "While they are not teachers, they are certainly a part of the school culture and should be seen as an ally and a helper to students. The unfortunate part is in the day-to-day discipline, and if the situation warrants, they are also there to provide processing of certain cases and to deter situations."
The school resource officers are certified law enforcement officers and are based at the schools to detect and prevent criminal activity, according to authorities with area police departments.
"They're not here as a disciplinarian for the school. They act in a counseling role with students when they can and when it's appropriate," said Lt. John Harrelson, who supervises the 15 school resource officers employed with Horry County police.
Horry County's program began more than 15 years ago when officers rotated at schools to teach the DARE drug-resistance program. School officials received federal grants 15 years ago to start the resource officer program.
Today, Horry County's 15 officers are assigned to the district's middle and high schools in unincorporated areas of the county, Harrelson said.
"They're a law enforcement officer. They have law enforcement experience," he said. "They're not a security guard. Some schools do employ security guards to provide assistance."
The presence of school resource officers at area schools, specifically high schools, have been highlighted in the past couple of years with incidents involving students bringing weapons to school.
In the first quarter of 2010-11, Horry County Schools records show that in total, 18 schools had 41 weapons violations, 38 counts for weapons other than firearms, two counts for handguns and one count for other firearm (not a handgun or rifle/shotgun). In the 2009-10 school year, a total of 33 schools had 81 weapons violations, 75 counts for weapons other than firearms, three for handguns, two for rifle/shotgun and one for other firearm.
Police officers based in the schools also often assist students in making choices that deter criminal activity and its consequences, such as bullying, Britton said.
"The SROs are not teachers, but they are utilized by the educational staff to help kids understand issues about laws, issues about their individual rights, issues about drugs, alcohol and bullying-type behavior," Britton said. "We would hope the SROs are seen by the students as a positive influence."
The duty of a school resource officer is "school safety, student interaction and mentoring, teaching, criminal enforcement, liaison between school and the [Police] Department," said Myrtle Beach police Capt. Faith Gildea, who oversees two officers assigned to schools in the city.
"If there are reports of problems in a school, staff can immediately notify the SRO, unless they witness the event," Gildea said. "While every behavior issue does not rise to the level of criminality, as a member of the staff they are responsible to notify the principal."
Herring said when students arrive at the school as sixth-graders, they will be fearful of her as a police officer. After a few weeks, the kids will become comfortable and share information about school activity.
"You kind of become almost a parent to some of these kids. I try to help them see we [as police officers] are not bad for them. It makes them see we are there to help them," Herring said. "We're a law enforcement officer first. We're a law-related educator and we're a law-related counselor. I tell the kids, 'I'm here for you.' They want to be your friend, but they're kind of afraid of you."
Herring has witnessed how her role at the school can impact students and their potential involvement in criminal activity. She said she's had several students who were once headed down the wrong path turn their lives around and graduate high school, lead successful lives.
"Bullying has always been around. A lot of the things I see are the things I dealt with when I was in school," Herring said. "Over my eight years I haven't seen a rise in bullying in the school. It's all been the same."
Herring, a lance corporal with the Horry County Police Department, has been assigned to the school for eight years as its school resource officer. She is among more than two dozen police officers who spend their days patrolling the hallways and grounds of area middle and high schools.
With recent events involving weapons at school and heightened attention on bullying, area authorities say the officers counsel students and prevent many incidents.
"In two years, SROs were involved in two situations that were very unsettling, but it was because of their swift actions that prevented those situations from escalating," said Teal Britton, spokeswoman for Horry County Schools.
The first of those occurred Oct. 16, 2009, when Trevor Varinecz, a 16-year-old student at Carolina Forest High School, was shot to death after police said he attacked a school resource officer in his office inside the school. In September, a school resource officer subdued a 14-year-old Socastee High School student, who remains in custody on juvenile charges that he tried to shoot the resource officer and took two pipe bombs to the school. Prosecutors want to charge the teen as an adult and will argue their case during a hearing Friday.
Bullying played a role in both cases, say those involved in the incidents. School officials have said they were not aware of specific bullying incidents involving the two students. It is also not clear whether the resource officers had previous interactions with the students.
"In the best-case scenario, an SRO is an extension of what law enforcement provides in community policing," Britton said. "While they are not teachers, they are certainly a part of the school culture and should be seen as an ally and a helper to students. The unfortunate part is in the day-to-day discipline, and if the situation warrants, they are also there to provide processing of certain cases and to deter situations."
The school resource officers are certified law enforcement officers and are based at the schools to detect and prevent criminal activity, according to authorities with area police departments.
"They're not here as a disciplinarian for the school. They act in a counseling role with students when they can and when it's appropriate," said Lt. John Harrelson, who supervises the 15 school resource officers employed with Horry County police.
Horry County's program began more than 15 years ago when officers rotated at schools to teach the DARE drug-resistance program. School officials received federal grants 15 years ago to start the resource officer program.
Today, Horry County's 15 officers are assigned to the district's middle and high schools in unincorporated areas of the county, Harrelson said.
"They're a law enforcement officer. They have law enforcement experience," he said. "They're not a security guard. Some schools do employ security guards to provide assistance."
The presence of school resource officers at area schools, specifically high schools, have been highlighted in the past couple of years with incidents involving students bringing weapons to school.
In the first quarter of 2010-11, Horry County Schools records show that in total, 18 schools had 41 weapons violations, 38 counts for weapons other than firearms, two counts for handguns and one count for other firearm (not a handgun or rifle/shotgun). In the 2009-10 school year, a total of 33 schools had 81 weapons violations, 75 counts for weapons other than firearms, three for handguns, two for rifle/shotgun and one for other firearm.
Police officers based in the schools also often assist students in making choices that deter criminal activity and its consequences, such as bullying, Britton said.
"The SROs are not teachers, but they are utilized by the educational staff to help kids understand issues about laws, issues about their individual rights, issues about drugs, alcohol and bullying-type behavior," Britton said. "We would hope the SROs are seen by the students as a positive influence."
The duty of a school resource officer is "school safety, student interaction and mentoring, teaching, criminal enforcement, liaison between school and the [Police] Department," said Myrtle Beach police Capt. Faith Gildea, who oversees two officers assigned to schools in the city.
"If there are reports of problems in a school, staff can immediately notify the SRO, unless they witness the event," Gildea said. "While every behavior issue does not rise to the level of criminality, as a member of the staff they are responsible to notify the principal."
Herring said when students arrive at the school as sixth-graders, they will be fearful of her as a police officer. After a few weeks, the kids will become comfortable and share information about school activity.
"You kind of become almost a parent to some of these kids. I try to help them see we [as police officers] are not bad for them. It makes them see we are there to help them," Herring said. "We're a law enforcement officer first. We're a law-related educator and we're a law-related counselor. I tell the kids, 'I'm here for you.' They want to be your friend, but they're kind of afraid of you."
Herring has witnessed how her role at the school can impact students and their potential involvement in criminal activity. She said she's had several students who were once headed down the wrong path turn their lives around and graduate high school, lead successful lives.
"Bullying has always been around. A lot of the things I see are the things I dealt with when I was in school," Herring said. "Over my eight years I haven't seen a rise in bullying in the school. It's all been the same."
Herring teaches a class with students to talk about bullying and what qualifies as bullying, she said. "I do a lot of mediating here. There'll be best friends that have words," Herring said. "I always tell them to think about what you're saying to someone because you can't take it back, and how would it feel if it was said to you."
She tries to head off problems before they occur.
"I'll often work with parents to correct the situation before the child gets in trouble," Herring said. "If students see something happening, even if they're unsure what it is, they should report it to an adult." -Sun News
She tries to head off problems before they occur.
"I'll often work with parents to correct the situation before the child gets in trouble," Herring said. "If students see something happening, even if they're unsure what it is, they should report it to an adult." -Sun News
Bullying Steps Have Far Yet To Go - Part III
Since the state enacted anti-bullying legislation in 2007, S.C. schools have developed policies, and victims and witnesses have had people to talk to and numbers to call.
But experts say that isn't enough. For one thing, policies that might have seemed far-reaching in 2007 need to change with the times.
Technology has extended the bullying's reach, and some victims of bullying are taking more drastic steps to respond.
In September, area schools saw how vulnerable they were when a gun was brought into Socastee High School. A school resource officer was injured and several pipe bombs were found that day. Since then, a lawyer for the 14-year-old student charged in the incident has said the boy had been bullied for years. On Friday, more details of those incidents may come to light during a hearing in which a judge will hear arguments on whether the student, who has been charged as a juvenile, should face felony charges as an adult.
"Kids have been bullied for forever," said Robin Kowalski, a professor at Clemson University and a bullying expert. "But the cyberbullying side has increased."
And with cyberbullying come a whole host of new issues, Kowalski said.
In the past, bullying was something that happened during school or at school-sponsored activities. That is not the case when it moves online.
"It's occurring off of school grounds but affecting the school day," she said.
Almost half of children who report being cyberbullied do not know the identity of the person bullying them, she said, "and that's the disconcerting part, the anonymity."
The increasing prevalence of cyberbullying means parents need to be aware of what's going on, and Kowalski said that's part of the duty of the school districts.
"The schools need to have programs in place ... to educate the parents," she said. "Most parents didn't grow up with this technology."
In the end, however, the best teachers are the children themselves, Kowalski said.
"Schools and parents can really let the kids be the experts," she said. "Put the kids in the driver's seat and let them educate about the use of technology."
Ending the cycle
But children need to be involved not only with the prevention of cyberbullying, but all bullying, she said.
"It's one thing to have a teacher stand up there and lecture about bullying. It's another to have a peer leader talk about it," she said.
In Horry County, schools have changed their security policies since the Socastee shooting. The week after that incident, schools were instructed to use metal detectors every day.
The district is also seeking ways to encourage more parent and student involvement.
The Georgetown County School District is working to initiate some bullying prevention programs.
"We're talking about going out and talking to different age groups," said Kelly Kelley, risk manager for the district. "We've got some parents who want to be involved, too."
Kelley said the district is also rethinking its punishments for bullying.
She said the current punishment for bullying is expulsion, and that harsh punishment may be preventing students from reporting incidents.
The Horry County school district is working to change the way guidance counselors work with students about bullying, and "creating a sense of civic responsibility among their peers, the bystanders," said Teal Britton, the district's spokeswoman.
Bullying was cited as a factor when a Carolina Forest High School student brought a sword to school and was shot and killed by a school resource officer after a struggle over the weapon in October 2009. That student had Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and was misunderstood and bullied by many students, according to his parents.
Britton said the district is working on ways to better report when instances of bullying occur.
"How do you begin to document things of which there isn't much documentation for," she said.
But experts say that isn't enough. For one thing, policies that might have seemed far-reaching in 2007 need to change with the times.
Technology has extended the bullying's reach, and some victims of bullying are taking more drastic steps to respond.
In September, area schools saw how vulnerable they were when a gun was brought into Socastee High School. A school resource officer was injured and several pipe bombs were found that day. Since then, a lawyer for the 14-year-old student charged in the incident has said the boy had been bullied for years. On Friday, more details of those incidents may come to light during a hearing in which a judge will hear arguments on whether the student, who has been charged as a juvenile, should face felony charges as an adult.
"Kids have been bullied for forever," said Robin Kowalski, a professor at Clemson University and a bullying expert. "But the cyberbullying side has increased."
And with cyberbullying come a whole host of new issues, Kowalski said.
In the past, bullying was something that happened during school or at school-sponsored activities. That is not the case when it moves online.
"It's occurring off of school grounds but affecting the school day," she said.
Almost half of children who report being cyberbullied do not know the identity of the person bullying them, she said, "and that's the disconcerting part, the anonymity."
The increasing prevalence of cyberbullying means parents need to be aware of what's going on, and Kowalski said that's part of the duty of the school districts.
"The schools need to have programs in place ... to educate the parents," she said. "Most parents didn't grow up with this technology."
In the end, however, the best teachers are the children themselves, Kowalski said.
"Schools and parents can really let the kids be the experts," she said. "Put the kids in the driver's seat and let them educate about the use of technology."
Ending the cycle
But children need to be involved not only with the prevention of cyberbullying, but all bullying, she said.
"It's one thing to have a teacher stand up there and lecture about bullying. It's another to have a peer leader talk about it," she said.
In Horry County, schools have changed their security policies since the Socastee shooting. The week after that incident, schools were instructed to use metal detectors every day.
The district is also seeking ways to encourage more parent and student involvement.
The Georgetown County School District is working to initiate some bullying prevention programs.
"We're talking about going out and talking to different age groups," said Kelly Kelley, risk manager for the district. "We've got some parents who want to be involved, too."
Kelley said the district is also rethinking its punishments for bullying.
She said the current punishment for bullying is expulsion, and that harsh punishment may be preventing students from reporting incidents.
The Horry County school district is working to change the way guidance counselors work with students about bullying, and "creating a sense of civic responsibility among their peers, the bystanders," said Teal Britton, the district's spokeswoman.
Bullying was cited as a factor when a Carolina Forest High School student brought a sword to school and was shot and killed by a school resource officer after a struggle over the weapon in October 2009. That student had Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and was misunderstood and bullied by many students, according to his parents.
Britton said the district is working on ways to better report when instances of bullying occur.
"How do you begin to document things of which there isn't much documentation for," she said.
"All of us relate to images of bullying," she said; for example, an older, bigger child pushing a smaller child into a locker.
Such instances are relatively easy to deal with, she said, since they're overt and visible.
"So much of bullying is not a physical exercise, it's emotional ... so there are situations sometimes where they are difficult to document," Britton said.
And Britton said without documentation, it's difficult to prove that anything has happened.
"We have to act based on the best information we have," she said.
In both the Carolina Forest and Socastee incidents the school district said it had no reports of bullying of those students, though people close to the students said afterward that they were bullied.
Getting any information at all about bullying is sometimes difficult, Kowalski said.
"Kids don't want to go up to a teacher and tell them about bullying," she said. "There needs to be some kind of anonymous reporting system."
The Georgetown County School District has an anonymous 1-800 number students or teachers can use to report bullying. But there have been no anonymous tips from the hot line regarding bullying since it started in 2007, Kelley said.
"I do feel like it's going on," said Kelley. "But we don't get a lot of formal notices."
A total of 24 students have been recommended for expulsion due to bullying since 2007, according to the district.
Kowalski said children don't report bullying if they don't think anything will be done about it.
"Kids typically don't believe their schools are proactive enough about bullying," she said.
Changing perspective
But that attitude is changing as bullying is tied to more incidents of school violence, locally and across the country.
The S.C. Department of Education is also working to give schools more tools to deal with bullying.
At the end of October, the S.C. Association of School Administrators put on a seminar about bullying prevention. Part of it is a partnership with the Department of Education to launch the S.C. Bullying Prevention Initiative.
The initiative will select test schools for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a highly researched school and community program that reduces or prevents bullying.
Molly Spearman, the association's executive director, said they are looking for eight to 10 schools to try the program, which includes a survey to find out where incidences of bullying occur. But the program costs about $4,000 to implement, so the association is working with schools to figure out funding sources.
Apart from the money, she said the entire community needs to buy in to make a bullying prevention program work.
And the stakes are only getting higher, Spearman said.
Lawsuits against districts that don't respond to bullying are becoming more and more common across the nation and there is a lawsuit pending in South Carolina.
In mid-October parents of a student of Sumter's School District 17 filed a lawsuit against the district for not responding to their claims of bullying.
The lawsuit says their son was repeatedly bullied while on the school bus and the district did not take adequate action to prevent the bullying from continuing.
The parents are seeking damages to be determined by a judge.
Spearman said schools need to protect themselves from all of the dangers associated with bullying.
"Most folks are doing a good job," she said. "But it's that one incident that doesn't get handled properly ... . These little things can build up and build up, and if it's not handed properly, it can turn into very serious and sometimes tragic incidences." -Sun News
Molly Spearman, the association's executive director, said they are looking for eight to 10 schools to try the program, which includes a survey to find out where incidences of bullying occur. But the program costs about $4,000 to implement, so the association is working with schools to figure out funding sources.
Apart from the money, she said the entire community needs to buy in to make a bullying prevention program work.
And the stakes are only getting higher, Spearman said.
Lawsuits against districts that don't respond to bullying are becoming more and more common across the nation and there is a lawsuit pending in South Carolina.
In mid-October parents of a student of Sumter's School District 17 filed a lawsuit against the district for not responding to their claims of bullying.
The lawsuit says their son was repeatedly bullied while on the school bus and the district did not take adequate action to prevent the bullying from continuing.
The parents are seeking damages to be determined by a judge.
Spearman said schools need to protect themselves from all of the dangers associated with bullying.
"Most folks are doing a good job," she said. "But it's that one incident that doesn't get handled properly ... . These little things can build up and build up, and if it's not handed properly, it can turn into very serious and sometimes tragic incidences." -Sun News
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