Politics & Government
County Lends A Hand to Stop Bullying
County led committees plan to discuss bullying and how to stop it among area youth. Public is welcomed to attend.
In 2009, Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita formed the county's Anti-Bullying Advisory Committee – the first of its kind – in an effort to hinder and eradicate all forms of bullying and bring public awareness to this epidemic.
“Despite all the news you hear lately about bullying, we were one of the first groups to jump on board and create several programs on the topic, since the school district had none,” said Carol Michel, community relations coordinator for Hillsborough County Criminal Justice.
The Bully Busters program is a collaborative effort between the Hillsborough County Criminal Justice Liaison, the Sheriff's Office and Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. The team is comprised of adult committees and a youth council.
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Like their adult counterparts, the youth council, which has about 60-65 students from various Hillsborough County neighborhoods, is just as eager to help abolish bullying in their classrooms.
The students will meet today, Jan. 18 to discuss bullying and how to remedy the problem. The meeting will be held from 6p.m.-8p.m. at the County Center (601 E. Kennedy Boulevard.)
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“This includes workbooks, videos or games that may be incorporated into a curriculum later implemented by the county libraries or after-school programs," Michel said. "The students rate these items and provide suggestions as to which were impactful and which weren’t."
The adult task force will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 19th at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held at The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at One Crisis Center Plaza.
Both meetings are open to the public.
“Our intent is to train, educate and bring awareness to the subject and we encourage everyone to come down and get involved," she said.
If you are interested in enrolling your child or teen in a safe and fun self-defense program where they can learn self-defense, respect, and discipline while boosting their self-confidence, Patch has compiled a list of some of the martial arts facilities in and near Central Tampa just for you.
- Reyes & Macho Time Boxing Gym
5901 N. Nebraska Ave.
813-374-2116 - Yung Ho Martial Arts Academy
1303 E. Busch Boulevard
813-935-8888 - Sung Lung Ryu International Karate
6308-A N. Armenia Ave.
813-235-8680 - Hurricane Boxing Gym
2326 E. 7th Ave.
813-248-3035 - McCalla Karate
3218 E. Hanna Ave.
813-236-6484 - Man-Son-Hing Martial Arts Academy
3307 W. Waters Ave.
813-936-5425