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♪♪♪

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(Teens roll playing) 
Here let us help you...

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You a nerd, get out!

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You a nerd, get out!

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Christina: Here's a 
scene you might see

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in a classroom.

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Bullying and taunting.

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But then, 
someone steps in.

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You want to be 
in our group?

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-I would like that.

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-You can be in our group.

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-Thank you.

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Christina: Practice 
makes perfect,

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as they say.

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That's why these teenagers 
at Fairfield High School

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are practicing ways to 
intervene if they see

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someone being 
bullied on campus.

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So when the time comes, 
they'll be ready.

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(Teens acting out scene)

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>>Ones over here. 
>>Twos are that way.

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>>-I'm a one.

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>>Not today sweetie.

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Next time.

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Go over there.

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>>We don't want a bad 
grade because of you.

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>>You ain't gonna 
do work anyways.

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>>Not to be mean or 
anything, but you just -

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>>I can do it. 
I can help you guys.

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>>I think we're fine, but 
thanks for your help.

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>>Alright guys, 
that's enough.

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>>Who are you?

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(pulls her away)

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Eric: We do all this 
role play,

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all this rehearsal.

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We create this safe space 
for them to actually step

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up and practice what it 
is like, and to build this

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network of humans 
they can rely on.

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And I think the one tool 
they come away with,

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is the sense of ok 
"I have a voice."

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Eric: Did he 
make a big to-do?

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Did he make a big chorus 
and a bunch of noise?

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What did he do?

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He just walked up, said 
nu-uh, and pulled her

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away, right.

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Christina: Eric Rubin is 
a trainer with

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Community Matters.

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The non-profit group 
teaches students how to

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deal with bullies through 
a program called

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Safe School Ambassadors.

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Diana: It's not just 
being able to stand up

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and intervene.

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It's really being able, 
first off, to be aware

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of what's going on.

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And then learn really 
appropriate, safe ways to

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intervene and then over 
time the influence that

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students have on each 
other has a real chance

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of changing the social norm.

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But ultimately, it's the 
kids that determine the

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social norm if that's 
cool or not to do.

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Melyna: Lunchtime is a 
big spot where

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I found my voice.

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There's kids who be 
bullied right there, and

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I would like see that 
and be like

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'Hey guys, you 
might not do that.'

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Or I use do one of our 
training techniques, which

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is distract, so I'd be 
like, 'Hey I need this guy

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or I need this girl for 
this' something like that.

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And take them away.

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Christina: Melyna is one 
of dozens of safe school

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ambassadors at 
Fairfield High.

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She was hand-picked for 
the program - like all of

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these students - because 
her teachers know that she

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has social influence 
at this school.

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Melyna: People don't trust 
teachers as much because

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they're not on 
their age level.

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They're not in 
your circles.

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They don't hear what 
us kids can hear.

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So when we go and we 
separate it, they're like

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'ok maybe we 
shouldn't do this.'

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Versus a teacher, they're 
like 'oh I'm not going to

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listen to this teacher.'

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Rick: What we've found in 
17 years of research is

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that those kids use those 
skills on the average of

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twice a day.

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So imagine if you've 
got 40 kids, and in this

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school now almost 100, 
who twice a day are

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interrupting, 
de-escalating, preventing,

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or stopping something 
bad from happening.

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What happens is the school 
can see decreases in

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fights, decreases in 
reportable offenses, and

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they can start to see an 
increase in kids

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feeling safer.

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Rick: You are the eyes 
and ears of this school.

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You see hear and know 
things that adults

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don't know.

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You are on the scene of . . .

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Christina: Rick Phillips 
is a former principal who

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founded the program after 
the 1999 Columbine High

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School shooting.

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He wanted to empower kids 
to get involved before a

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situation turns tragic.

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Shannon: We frequently 
will get a email, text

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message, umm from a 
student who's a Safe

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School Ambassador who is 
an Ambassador trying to

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let us know about 
something going on campus.

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There's two 
students over here.

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They're seem to be getting 
into a verbal argument.

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Or even there's a student 
over here who

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looks really sad.

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Having eyes and ears 
everywhere is extremely

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beneficial to our program.

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Christina: The training 
isn't all serious.

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There's a lot of fun, too.

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Eric: So we're doing all three 
sounds ready, one two

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ready go!

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(funny noises)

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Christina: Students participate 
in a lot of ice breakers.

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It's a chance to get to 
know each other outside of

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their usual social circle.

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Chyna: When you bring all 
these kids in, there are

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kids from multiple 
different groups here,

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like we have basketball 
players and cheerleaders

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and AVID kids.

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And you know like with our 
groups we're intermingled,

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so it gives you the 
chance to know people that

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usually you wouldn't have 
the courage to talk to

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outside of this.

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Shari: So many high school 
students feel so isolated.

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Their impression is that 
their situations are so

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unique, their struggles 
are so unique, that nobody

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would understand, nobody 
could ever connect to what

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I'm going through or 
whatever I've seen.

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And through some of 
these trainings, like the

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"crossing the line" 
activity, they really are

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able to understand that 
so many other people share

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similar experiences and 
that there's so much

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support to be 
had with that.

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"Crossing the line" I 
heard someone using a

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racist or homophobic 
slur, and I said nu-uh.

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Isabel: I was bullied 
myself and throughout

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sophomore year to junior 
year, I think I stood up

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for myself.

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There's this one time 
in class I was bullied

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because I was 
wearing something.

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But it seemed like I was 
still in middle school,

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wearing little knit 
sweaters and knit mittens.

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I was like, 'You have your 
own style, I have mine.

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Please leave me alone.'

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And I felt confident, 
I was standing up for

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myself.

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I was me.

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Safe school ambassadors 
helped me stand up

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for myself.

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Christina: Safe School 
Ambassadors is now

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in place in nearly 
2,000 schools

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across the country.

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The program is designed 
to be self-sustaining.

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So after a few years of 
training from Community

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Matters, the schools 
take ownership.

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That means it's up to 
students like Adrian

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to keep the tradition going.

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Adrian: It's a great way 
to show love, you know.

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'Cause that's what a 
lot of this world needs.

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You know, more love.

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We have a lot of 
hate in the world.

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And being able to be an 
ambassador is a great

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opportunity to 
show that love.

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Chyna: When I see bullying 
before, I just would

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steer clear of it.

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Now I would step up and 
try and

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make a difference in it.

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Melyna: I really found my 
voice here and I feel safe

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here in this environment, 
and I hope others do too

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when we try and help them.

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Rick: It truly can 
save lives, but more

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importantly, I think it 
does is it changes the

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climate of the school to 
be a more compassionate

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and caring place.

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Narr: As many as one in 
three students say they

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have been bullied 
at school.

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Studies show girls tend to 
be the victims of social

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and cyberbullying, while 
boys often bear the brunt

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of physical attacks.

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Research shows parents can 
help break the bullying

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cycle by talking to 
their kids about it, and

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encouraging them to 
participate in teams and

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activities they love.