Last modified: Monday, December 1, 2008 2:42 AM EST Students at the Wamsutta Middle School on Locust Street in Attleboro are becoming peer leaders trained to make bullying, insults and ridicule "uncool" for other students to participate in. (Staff file photo by Mark Stockwell) Attleboro students set to lead fight against bullies BY RICK FOSTER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF ATTLEBORO - Adolescent bullying doesn't always take the form of a punch or shaking down someone for their lunch money. Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Wamsutta Middle School know only too well that words can hurt as much as actions, and that rumors alone can tear down the confidence of a 12- or 13-year-old. That's why almost two dozen students are taking the challenge to become peer leaders and helping to change the atmosphere at their school for the better. The students, who either volunteered for the job or were recommended by their teachers, are undergoing several months of training to become leaders at their school. Their job is to set the tone, to lead by example and - if they're successful - to make it "uncool" to utter thoughtless insults or ridicule others. Students recently completed 12 hours of training with instructors from the Anti-Defamation League and are following that up by conducting workshops with adjustment counselors Karyn McGee and Scott Hopkinson, who are coaching students on how to deal with sensitive topics and set a positive example with their peers. Once the training and workshops are complete, students will begin holding their own workshops with peers in fifth, sixth and seventh grades. A similar program is being used in more than 20 Massachusetts schools, Principal Karol Coffin said. Students who gathered to discuss bullying and teasing issues last week said they hadn't necessarily witnessed many fights or confrontations at school, but were aware of teasing and intolerance. "People get picked on because of what they wear or who they hang out with," eighth-grader Chris Pacheco said. Ryan Semple said teens often don't think carefully before they choose a word. He said "gay" has become an all-purpose putdown used for everything from a student's choice of clothes to the music he or she listens to. Students said they were eager to volunteer for the leadership program because they want to make a difference. Hannah Valley, an eighth-grader, said the training will give students the confidence to lead by example and speak up when they hear hurtful words or cruel rumors. Hopkinson said that while students are being trained to take the high road and serve as an example for their peers, there will be times when student leaders will need to consult with adult faculty members or report a potentially dangerous situation. "This is in no way passing the buck from staff members to students," he said. Yet Hopkinson says enlisting students in the fight against teasing and bullying will help create a better school atmosphere. "Not everything that happens is within the view of a teacher," he said. While many schools sponsor mediation programs that seek to use students to broker solutions to disagreements, Wamsutta's peer leadership program is aimed at reinforcing a positive attitude so there will be less need for such interventions, Coffin said. "It's a pro-active program," she said. Coffin said she expects that besides making school a more pleasant place for all students, the new leadership program will have other benefits in the form of removing distractions and improving the learning climate. She said students will also be able to carry their experiences as leaders along with them to the high school, where they can continue to contribute their leadership skills. RICK FOSTER can be reached at 508-236-0360 or at rfoster@thesunchronicle.com.