Norwich student bullying reports on rise

Norwich Bulletin (Norwich, CT) April 14, 2011 "Mequeyla Mendoza sat alone, shut out from the intermittent bursts of horseplay and laughter expected from a cafeteria full of middle schoolers. Midway through a student forum on bullying that brought out more silliness than seriousness from her peers, the Kelly Middle School student put her head down and rested her chin on folded arms. 'I’ve been bullied, called names — mean names,' the sixth-grader said. 'It bothers me a little bit when I think about it. Lately, I’ve just tried to practice self-control and walking away. That’s been working out.' Stories like Mequeyla’s are stacking up by the dozens for Debbie Kievits, the coordinator of the Greater Norwich Anti-Bullying Coalition Bully Busters. In response to a recent flurry of bullying reports from parents of students in kindergarten through middle school, Bully Busters sponsored forums for students and the community this week." Read more