Bullying Not Just 'Teasing Names on the Playground' Anymore

Police, school officials, students and Mayor David Mayer joined together Monday at Timber Creek Regional High School to introduce a new program intending to curb bullying in township schools.

Project B.A.T.L.E., or Bullying Awareness Through Law Enforcement, is a multi-faceted approach to combating bullying in and out of schools developed by Gloucester Township Police Department in concert with school officials. It includes both diversionary treatment programs for offenders and support programs for victims.

Various components of Project B.A.T.L.E. will begin being implemented in early November, coinciding with but independent of the Sept. 1 implementation of New Jersey's statewide anti-bullying law, which is widely believed to be the strongest such legislation in the country.

The message at Monday's press conference was clear: Bullying has changed dramatically over the years, so a measured response to those changes is not only needed but necessary.

"The widespread use of social networking and text-messaging as a means of communication by children has caused bullying to rise to a new level of concern," Gloucester Township Police Chief W. Harry Earle said.

"It's not teasing names on the playground," Earle added. "It's a whole new level that needs to be addressed, and that's what we're doing."

In addition to the township's K-8 district and Black Horse Pike Regional School District, Our Lady of Hope Regional School, Kingdom Charter School of Leadership and Camden County Technical Schools-Gloucester Township will participate in Project B.A.T.L.E.

Check back with GT Patch Tuesday morning for more information on Project B.A.T.L.E.