Golden Launches Essay Writing Contest To Combat School Bullying

Ned Berke -

The schoolyard bully is one of the greatest themes of the American coming-of-age story.

So is overcoming them, and the further you go back in American storytelling, the more likely that involved a slug to the mouth.

But, hey, this is the 21st Century and we’re civilized now, so we fight our battles with words (and drones).

That’s why 21st Century State Senator Marty Golden is launching a campaign to end bullying with an essay contest open to elementary schools across his district, which spans from Marine Park to Bay Ridge.

“This year, I have decided to focus my annual essay contest on the issue of bullying so to raise awareness and get students thinking about the problems that such behavior causes,” said Golden in a press release announcing the contest. “Bullying has no place in our society, yet it has taken a toll on so many residents, both young and old, so it is imperative that we teach anti-bullying lessons from an early age. I look forward to reading the essays and hope that this contest will help our generation of elementary school students grow up in a world where bullying is no longer prevalent.”

With bullying the theme of Golden’s annual “State Senator for a Day” essay contest, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are invited to write a 150-200 word piece that begins with the phrase, “If I were a State Senator, I would stop bullying in our community by…”.

All essay contest entries must be returned by Friday, April 17, 2015, and finalists will then be selected. A ceremony will be scheduled during the month of May in which the the finalists will be invited to read their essay before a panel of community leaders who will select a winner. For more information, contact Senator Golden’s office at (718) 238-6044.

Golden’s efforts to combat bullying go beyond the contest, though. In the past, he has sponsored legislation that expanded the definition of bullying to include cyber-bullying, provided for bullying prevention courses in schools, required teachers to report it to supervisors, and added it to a list of offenses for which a student may be disciplined.