In January, sixteen-year-old high school freshman Jarious Lightfoot was shot and killed during an argument on Henry Street in Kingston. Well-known and well-liked, Lightfoot's murder galvanized the mid-town community in its commitment to addressing violence.

Kingston Cares, a coalition of business, school and community leaders sponsored by FAMILY, decided to look at early indicators of violence. Bullying stood out as an issue for youth, parents and schools. "Often, programs are for youth who are already in serious trouble," commented coalition director Megan Weiss, from her office at the Everette Hodge Community Center in Mid-Town. "Victims of bullying are often alienated from school, making them vulnerable to substance abuse. Bullies themselves are often victims of abuse at home. Reaching kids with consistent messages early in life and everywhere they go is the best way to stop eight-year-olds from becoming violent sixteen-year-olds."

How widespread is bullying? Surveys indicate that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time, and at least ten percent are bullied on a regular basis. Erin Parese, Kingston Schools' Director of Prevention, has seen a decrease in overt bullying on the playgrounds and in the halls. "Kids know that teachers and monitors will stop what they can see," he observes. Other school districts have experienced similar changes.

In a rapidly growing trend, some thirty-two percent of youth say they have experienced "cyber-bullying," such as threatening emails or lies spread on the internet. Megan Weiss is only twenty-one, but she can see the change. "Bullying is global. We're in a MySpace world."

Kingston Cares has built a collaboration with the Kingston School District to implement Olweus (Ol-vay-us), an anti-bullying initiative developed in Norway which has become the standard for effective intervention. Two elementary schools, Robert Graves and George Washington, and Bailey Middle School have signed on to the pilot program in Kingston. Onteora and Saugerties schools are also working with FAMILY to identify funding to implement the model.

"We'll be keeping the positive behavior programs we've been using and adding Olweus to those activities," notes Kingston's Parese. "Last year we had a successful program with BOCES New Vision teens role playing appropriate behavior on the playground and in the cafeteria for younger students. Olweus adds a systematic approach and will build consistancyWorking with Kingston Cares has brought a different perspective. It's an excellent resource."

Weiss is excited about the Olweus program. "We are being received so enthusiastically in the schools. Administrators and teachers are open to change. They really care about the students. Teachers are talking about having community dinners and one came to our Mayor's Awards Dinner last month. Teachers are thirsty for things that will work."