Santa Maria Non-Profit Group Works to Beat Bullying

The North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center, a Santa Maria nonprofit, put on an anti-bullying educational event at Chuck E. Cheese’s in Santa Maria in Friday.

Bullying affects children of all ages. It could happen on the playground, in the classroom or even online.

There is no universal definition of the word, but bullying can be detrimental toanyone, especially young children.

“We want to encourage children to start speaking up, we want to encourage children to seek that help,” Cristina Jaquez with the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center said.

Jaquez works with Santa Maria children who are bullied. She wants to stop bullying before it gets worse.

Jaquez knows of children asking to skip school because they’re bullied, some even hurting themselves.

“There are reports of it, in the junior high level, some students are cutting, they’re engaging in self harm,” Jaquez said.

Jaquez said not all cases are as extreme as self harm, bullying is complex, but putting an end to it as early as possible will help Santa Maria children.

For more information log on to www.sbcountyrapecrisis.org.