Escambia County schools to kick-off anti-bullying campaign
Published 4:36 pm Monday, April 30, 2012
Jessica Brookshire, founder of K.A.R.M.A. (Kids Against Ridicule, Meanness and Aggression), will be in Escambia County Monday, April 30 through Tuesday, May 8, to share her anti-bullying message with students.
Brookshire
K.A.R.M.A. is Brookshire’s personal crusade to end bullying in school-aged children across the nation according to a release from Donna Revel, at-risk coordinator for Escambia County Schools.
Brookshire’s K.A.R.M.A. program has received national attention, as she has shared her anti-bullying message with over 165,000 students across the state of Alabama and nationwide. She has beenthe guest speaker with school systems in North Carolina, New Mexico, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia and Florida.
In 2011, Brookshire was the guest speaker at an international conference on bullying in Mexico and the National School Bus Drivers Conference in Ohio. She is also a ranked panelist on bullying with CNN News and was a featured guest on the Huckabee Show, Fox News/New York.
“The Escambia County School’s administration should be commended for taking the pro-active approach to end school-aged bullying,” Brookshire said. “They recognize the growing national trend in bullying and want to educate their students on the negative impact that bullying has on the victim, the aggressor, their families, friends and the school as a whole. School officials want to continue to provide a safe, nurturing environment for all their students, and they realize that addressing the issue head-on is the way to do it.”
As a young girl, Brookshire was the victim of bullying, which started in fourth grade and lasted throughout her senior year in high school.
“I know the pain and fear that come from the words of another,” she said. “Words hurt, and they stay with you well into your adult years. The feeling of loneliness that a bully can instill is unbearable. As a survivor of bullying, it is my duty to ensure that no child should ever have to endure that feeling. Our schools should offer a safe and positive learning environment for all students.”
To learn more about the K.A.R.M.A. program, visit www.TheKarma.org or to arrange an interview, call Brookshire at 334-728-1016.
