News Anchor Makes On-Air Plea Against Bullying

A news anchor in La Crosse, Wisconsin responded to a letter she received from a viewer, by taking to the airwaves. She called it a case of bullying.

The man writes to Jennifer Livingston, of WKBT-TV, "surely you don't consider yourself a suitable example for this community's young people, girls in particular."  He said in the letter, that Livingston has a community responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle and that she is setting a bad example because she is obese.

"Now, I am a grown woman and, luckily for me, I have a very thick skin-- literally, as that email pointed out and otherwise," Livingston responded during a segment of her morning show. "That man's words mean nothing to me.  But what really angers me about this is there are children who don't know better, who get emails as critical as the one I received or in many cases, even worse, each and ever day."

Livingston said that adults need to lead by example to end bullying problems in our schools.

"The internet has become a weapon. Our schools have become a battle ground and this behavior is learned. It is passed down from people, like the man who wrote me that email," she said.

The Oklahoma Education Agency agrees.

"Children can often be mirrors of adults. And it is not only a bad example for the child, its a bad example for the child's friends, it's a bad example for other adults. And it's not how we should handle things," OEA president Linda Hampton said.

The OEA  provides anti-bullying  workshops for Oklahoma teachers and schools, but Hampton said the topic is something parents also need to be engaged in. 

About 20 percent of American high school students reported being bullied at school last year and about 16 percent reported being bullied electronically, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Studies have show that one out of ten children that are bullied drop out of school.  Studies have shown that people who are bullied are twice as likely to commit suicide. These are big stakes, these aren't just something you hope will go away.  It's something you've got to do something about," Linda Hampton said.

Livingston hopes her experience will help.

"To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight,  with the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face- listen to me right now. Do not let your self worth be defined by bullies.  Learn from my experience that the cruel words of one, are nothing compared to the shouts of many," she said.

October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.

The OEA has several resources available to learn more on bullying on it's website.

Click here, to watch Livingston's entire plea. News Anchor Makes On-Air Plea Against Bullying

Posted: Tuesday, October 2 2012, 10:09 PM CDT