Dozens of students in Fort Lauderdale marched the streets with one message: stop bullying. NBC 6’s Victor Jorges reports
Dozens of students in Fort Lauderdale marched the streets with one message: stop bullying.
The parade was hosted by Broward County Parks with dozens of students to raise awareness about bullying and the resources available to anyone going through something.
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WATCH HERENBC 6 spoke to Daijah McClover, a tenth grader who shared her experience of being bullied years ago.
"Sometimes I’d look myself in the mirror and all the things they said to me, I’d start seeing it now,” said McClover. “They’d comment on my hair and what it looked like, and I didn't want to school with my hair out, I’d walk around with a hoodie all the time. They talked about how my body looked like, so I would cover up all the time with a jacket over myself and never wanted to take it off."
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She’s 15 years old now and says she wishes someone had been there for her years ago when the mean comments were made.
"Sometimes someone just needs an affirmation,” she said. “‘You're pretty,’ or, ‘it's going to be okay,’ or just a hug."
She’s now one of almost 100 students marching in Fort Lauderdale to show others there’s always someone in your corner, even if it doesn’t feel that way.
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Senior park manager for the county Val Wolbert says the walk is a way to keep the community connected and engaged.
"If parents, school, after-school and coaches are all on the same page, we can help our children better,” she said.
Wolbert has been working with children for decades and has seen how bullying can take a toll on students.
"Personally, I see the effects on the kids,” she said. “We know one in every five kids in middle school or high school is bullied every day.”
Daijah was one of those students. Now she wants to make sure that anyone going through something speaks up.
"Some people may visibly show that they're going through something but they can't communicate,” she said. “A lot of people ignore that. 'Oh yeah, her eyes are red,' not because of the drugs but because she's been crying."
