September is anti-bully month, and valley law enforcement is taking notice, tackling what they call a big problem before it becomes even bigger.
At Sorensen Elementary in Pharr, third through fifth graders gathered in the cafeteria Wednesday morning, their precious faces appearing incapable of cruelty, but something fifth grader Patricia Ramirez says she was once a victim of.
“The kids were bullying me, because I was chubby,” says Patricia.
But Patricia says bullies don’t bother her anymore, because she told a teacher.
It’s an action San Juan Police are pushing for, hoping students speak up when they’re being picked on.
They say bullying can begin as early as elementary school, and if not stopped, could have deadly consequences.
“Because bullying could end up with children, students committing suicide,” says Sergeant Rudy Luna of the San Juan Police Department.
Sgt. Luna says silence is the biggest problem in battling bullying.
He says children are often too scared to tell, and as such, parents should be on the lookout.
“If they’re depressed, if they start hanging around with the wrong crowd,” says Luna, “that could also lead to bullying or them bullying someone else.”
Meanwhile, San Juan Police are making it clear to local students all that bullying can include and warning the state of Texas can legally arrest a 10-year-old.
Call it a scare tactic, but it’s all in hopes of eliminating feelings like those Patricia once had.
“It felt sad, like your self-esteem goes down,” says Patricia.
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