New Forum To Focus On Teen Bullying

Vanessa Wilcox is President of Palm Springs High School’s Gay-Atraight Alliance for three years.

“I have been approached by people who are really struggling with family issues, they’re questioning their sexuality or they’re being bullied because of school or their socio-economic issues,” said Wilcox.

Wilcox and other high school students in the Palm Springs Unified School District helped announce a new forum to help talk about bullying and intolerance.

The district and the Tolerance Center in Rancho Mirage will host the event.

Anthony Gonzalez will be there. His encouraging words to a bullied classmate helped make a world of difference.

“He always calls me now and then, checking up. Sometimes he’ll come visit me from Los Angeles. And since then we’ve been very close friends,” said Gonzalez.

While the basic principle of bullying is the same, school administrators said it has changed over the years. Now nasty messages can be seen on your cell phone, facebook, twitter and other social media sites.

“The potential for mis-communication is just multiplied. At the same time there’s the ability there to use those social media tools for positive message and that’s what I think these students that were here today are all about is how to champion tolerance, empathy and compassion,” said Jacob Shefa, the forum’s moderator.

Students will discuss issues and ideas, then put them into action.

The forum is set for December 6th.