Students who are helping to battle bullying, a serious problem at schools, spoke up Friday with an anti-bullying message that spread throughout Baltimore County.
At Towson High School, students used part of their lunch break to make a pledge to try and prevent bullying. In return, they walked away with a wrist bracelet. It's just one of the many ways students all across Baltimore County are trying to head off bullying.
Thousands of Maryland students report they've been bullied by a classmate. In Baltimore County, a system-wide campaign was organized by a group of high school students, some picked by the superintendent, to try and get the word out.
"We saw this and we know that this is something that we personally wanted to happen. So it felt a lot better for us to be able to see things happen and be able to see that was our idea, and it's actually happening," said Breana Echols, a student.
At Pine Grove Elementary School, the anti-bullying message came by way of more than two dozen posters made as part of a school-wide contest.
"Sometimes you can't express your feelings through words. So you have to express them through writing, and it can be very difficult through words. This is people's way to express themselves," said Terrell Byers, a student.
When asked what she hopes people see in her poster, student Kaitlyn Mulholland said, "That it's really OK to be different and that people shouldn't bully you because you wear glasses and braces."
"We want kids to be able to express how they feel, and some kids don't always feel comfortable speaking. So through any tool they can use to talk, we feel is very important. So posters definitely help them," said Melissa Burchman, a school counselor.
The effort comprised part of a one-day campaign that many students said they hope will continue year-round.
"It's a very important for the children to be involved in an anti-bullying (effort). It's a very important topic to our students and their families, and we want to make sure they know that they're safe and respected," said Jean Wislson, principal.