Students urged to report bullying

National Safe Schools Coordinator, Sergeant Andrew Williams, is encouraging students who are being bullied at school to report the issue to a responsible adult.

“I’m a product of the Safe School Programme. What we were taught then and I’m teaching now, is to speak to a responsible adult. You find a teacher, a trusted teacher. There’s always someone that you can trust,” Williams said.

“Your school resource officers (SROs) are so trained that we believe that you are ours. Your best interest is what we have at heart. Find your school resource officer and say, ‘This is what I am facing’, and I guarantee you that we will guide you along a path of recovery,” he added.

Williams was speaking on the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Force for Good podcast on August 30. He further noted that there are instances where an SRO is able to speak with the offending student (the bully) and “we are able to pull out why this child is acting a particular way”.

He assured parents that SROs understand what happens within the schools, as they see it on a daily basis.

“Sometimes, we fear for your child as well, and that’s why we are highly trained and we are motivated to push them along the right path,” he said. “If they have reported this to you, get in contact with your school resource officer as well. We will work with them. There are mentorship programmes, there are police youth clubs, there are several programmes that they can be a part of. But your child will be safe because your school resource officers will be there for you.”

Meanwhile, Williams stressed the importance of parents knowing who the SROs are at the children’s schools.

“That’s your first point of contact when your child is being threatened. You have a right to ask who the school resource officer is that is assigned. You will often find that I will give my number out to anybody, because it’s a service that we offer,” he stated.