NORTH ANDOVER — Bullying is sneakier these days.
It's not just taking someone's lunch money anymore. It's a harassing text, a mean e-mail or a post on the popular Facebook social networking site that starts rumors across the school.
"I'm not gonna lie, it can be hell for some kids," said Guido Areces, 13, an eighth-grader at North Andover Middle School.
Students and teachers at North Andover Middle School are doing something to try to combat old and new types of bullying at the school.
Last week at the school was dedicated to anti-bullying activities, through which students were reminded of the importance of being kind to one another.
The eighth-graders performed a skit for the sixth-graders, sharing with them how they had been bullied by e-mail and text messages. Students drew posters to hang around the school. A North Andover police officer came to speak to the students about the dangers of being a bully. And students were tasked with coming up with a slogan that would remind students not to be bullies. The winning slogan will be placed on a magnet, which every sixth-grader will get to hang in their lockers.
Students were reminded, bullying isn't only mean, it could be considered a crime.
"Bullying is a crime," Assistant Principal Daniel Roy said, adding that they've had the police at the middle school this year speaking to students who wrote threatening e-mails. "These are things that seem harmless. But could be a serious crime."
During a presentation on Monday, sixth-graders opened up to telling their own stories of how they, too, had been sent harassing e-mails or texts, and asked for advice on what to do about it.
Students told the sixth-graders they also had to stand up for those who were being hurt. Being a bystander was almost as bad as being a bully, they said.
"It's not OK," said Francesca Scaraggi, 14, also an eighth-grader. "It hurts a lot of people. If you don't (stand up), what's to stop everyone from doing it?"
