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WCDS Hosts ‘Bullyproofing’ Workshop for Community

Child and adolescent therapist Jim Bisenius will offer practical and effective solutions for parents, teachers and students to deal with the bullies in their lives during his Bully-proofing Youth workshop at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wheeling Country Day School, 8 Park Road, Wheeling.

Offered with support from the Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation, the 90-minute workshop is free to attend and open to the public.

According to information provided by WCDS, “Participants will learn specifically how ‘popular’ bullies isolate, control and manipulate their peers. They will learn exactly what steps their son or daughter must take to stop them. In addition, parents will be able to use all of these techniques in their own life to deal with controlling or intimidating adults.”

This is the second time Bisenius has spoken at Wheeling Country Day School. The first time was three years ago, and Head of School Elizabeth Hofreuter-Landini said his program is different from any other anti-bullying program she has experienced.

“Jim Bisenius’ presentation reframes our thinking about bullying by focusing our efforts on everyone but the bully. The child(ren) targeted learns to keep his/her own power while peers learn how to be part of the solution.”

According to Bisenius’ website, without blaming the target, he teaches them “how to alter their body-language from ‘fear’ to ‘cool,’ and take away all the reactions that kids who target seek. Removing the ‘fear’ reaction is what shuts down the dance, and permanently stops future bullying.”

He also exposes the methods of relational bullying and how a “queen bee” girl controls all those who are trying to stay in her good graces. He encourages girls to seek out and establish at least one close friend on whom she can always rely to remain faithful no matter how the “queen” tries to sabotage their friendship.

He states: “It is critical for a targeted child to learn exactly how to alter responses to bullying, because adults unfortunately can only catch the behavior occasionally.”

Free child care is provided during the workshop. For more information, call the school, 304-232-2430.

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