Fridley Middle School Students Take On Bullying

A group of Fridley Middle School students, taking on the name “The Bully Bosses,” has created a program to combat bullying, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

The students wear “Bully Bosses” t-shirts during visits to elementary schools where they target incoming middle-schoolers, educating them on tactics to deal with bullying and assigning them worksheets.

Minnesota Public Radio gives background on the project:

The Bully Bosses' effort got its start at Fridley Middle School in the Project Star classroom. The class is for students with behavioral problems who struggle academically. They also have problems with speech and language skills, and some have attention deficit disorder.

They've faced their share of bullying from other students, and they admit to dishing it out as well.

Eighth grader Deandre Fowler said he was bullied a few years ago because he was homeless. He said he dealt with the bullying by becoming a bully himself.

"I bullied because it let out my anger. I had all that anger stuck in from all of them calling me names," he said. "Bullying is getting power out of the person. You're overruling him, you're taking charge of him."