Lisbon High School student pitches positive reinforcement, awareness at bullying summit

Adults need to communicate in order to combat bullying. That was one of the messages Cole Norton conveyed as he sat on a panel in Des Moines Monday during the Governor's Bullying Prevention Summit.

“The main issue seen from my point of view is parents aren't reading the signs from their kids," said Norton, a senior at Lisbon High School. "They're not listening when they say, ‘This is an issue.'"

That extends to school administrators who, in Norton's view, don't always "provide clear communication" around bullying situations.

This is the Lisbon Community School District's second year of involvement with the summit. Last year, the district won second place in an anti-bullying video contest for the event.

Norton praised Lisbon's "The Voice" initiative, in which students fight bullying by modeling and setting standards for acceptable behavior through partnering with their peers.

"Hopefully we can teach them the moral things that they might not be learning at home," he said. "We also like to focus on positive reinforcement."

Norton was one of three Iowans and five young people on the summit's final panel. Other featured voices included Anthony Howland of Central High School in Davenport, Danielle Reyes of Valley High School in West Des Moines, Hayley Reardon of Marblehead High School in Marblehead, Mass. and Christina Wagner of Edina High School in Edina, Minn. The panel occurred during the Students Can Make A Difference section of the daylong summit, which Norton said had the potential to be "the start of tolerance for other people and a positive peer culture.”

The high school senior, echoing comments other students made during the session, advised parents to be aware and get all of the necessary information when their students are involved in a bullying situation.

"Parents need to understand that their children are not as innocent as they say they are," Norton said. “Try listening to the other kids, not just yours. You need to get a big perspective on what's really going on before you can help your child be a better citizen.”