Anti-bullying campaign creates ‘heroes’ at Ridgefield High School

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To combat bullying, Ridgefield High School has launched the Hero Movement, which is a campaign created by students for their peers.

Andrea Reinertson, a leadership class teacher and one of the coordinators for the campaign, said the movement has made an impact on the students.

“The bracelets we give to students have a specific call to action on why they were chosen and what phrase they can say when they see bullying, as well as be on the lookout where there’s not a lot of adults, like bathrooms, cafeteria and the hallways,” said Reinertson. “Students said they’ve noticed a difference as far as the level of positivity and the ripple effect they see it having, but it’s hard to measure exactly how effective it is unless they did a survey before and after.”

The bracelets are blue and state “Join the Hero Movement. Stop Bullying,” as well as, “Be a Hero, Not a Villain.”

To help put a stop to bullying if students witness it, the students came up with the simple saying of  “Hey, that’s not cool.”

According to a news release from the Ridgefield School District, the students define a hero as someone who stands up to bullying and helps facilitate positive change.

According to Reinertson, the campaign came from the curriculum of the class she teaches.



“We would teach about taking steps to build their character every day, and a lot of it comes with a challenge, such as giving out five compliments, holding the door open for someone, doing an act of service without being asked,” she said. “With that, one of the things we focused on was how to start a positive movement. … They realized that although they were only 35 students, we could still have control over the climate and culture of our school, and it can be positive or negative, so (they said) ‘let’s choose to make it positive and see what kind of effect we can have on our school.’”

Reinertson said a resounding theme throughout the semester has focused on the ripple effect an act of kindness or compassion can have. After doing research, she noted 50% of students said they have been affected by bullying in some way. Although social media can be used as an escape for students at home, she said 35% are affected by cyberbullying. That number increases with minority groups.

Because a lot of bullying goes unreported, Reinertson hopes the Hero Movement will change that and make students more comfortable to speak about their experiences.

“Being a teenager is already so hard because they’re always struggling to find their place or fit in and don’t want to stand out,” she said. “Standing up and saying something, regardless of what it is that they see, is a way to stand out, so it makes them uncomfortable (to come forward). There’s definitely some work to be done as far as knowing what their resources are, having those relationships with adults so they feel comfortable saying something, and combating the stigma of talking to an adult or peer about it.”

Reinertson said the campaign can be followed on Instagram under the username
@spuddernation.