Statewide anti-bully campaign based at ECU

When Randy Alston's teacher asked him to illustrate the theme"Bullies Don't Belong," the fifth grader at South Greenville Elementary School drew two figures: A tough-looking fellow with a cigarette and a boy with a text bubble near his mouth.

"No," it says.

Alton is one of thousands of students participating in N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's anti-bully campaign called Bullies Don't Belong. Part of the campaign will be based at East Carolina University.

A collaboration between Cooper's office, ECU and the Center for the Prevention of School Violence, the statewide initiative aims to teach students, parents and teachers how to protect themselves and others against school violence, including bullying and drug use. The program includes a student artwork project, where students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to submit a drawing on the topic of bullying. About a dozen pieces — which include paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer generated art and photography — will be chosen to illustrate a publication on how to effectively curb bullying and aggressive behavior in school. The publication and an instructional web site displaying all submitted art will be designed at ECU.

"The main goal is to raise awareness both with the public at large and all school children," said Cynthia Bickley-Green, a professor in the School of Art, who along with Lou Everett of the School of Nursing is helping to coordinate the campaign."As a group of adults we often do not think about this issue."

Cooper's office chose East Carolina University as springboard for the art and website portion of the project thanks to the efforts of Bickley-Green and Everett. The two professors have years of experience in using art for conflict resolution. They first teamed up five years ago for a program at the Pitt County Boys and Girls Club during which children were asked to visualize family-related conflicts situations and solutions through art.

Their combined experience made ECU the perfect location to base the project, said Jay Chaudhuri, special counsel to the attorney general.

"We decided to partner with the ECU Art Department given their reputation and Dr. Bickley-Green's personal interest in this topic," he said."We're looking forward to our work with East Carolina University and feel this will be a real opportunity to highlight an important public policy issue."

The artwork portion of the campaign is a way students can express ideas. It can also serve as catalyst for discussion, Bickley-Green said.

"Sometimes it's easier for children to make drawings because they don't understand the subtleties of the situation," she said."To talk about it is more difficult."

In addition to the publication and website, the campaign includes an art exhibit May 15-June 15 at Mendenhall Student Center and a workshop in Washington, D.C., for the International ChildArt Festival in September.

Bickley-Green will also participate in a presentation at the N.C. Art Education Association staff development weekend in Greensboro on the subject of school violence.