Student Works to End Bullying

Teenager Matt Cavedon believes everyone needs to speak up about bullying.

Matt Cavedon has been busy with a big job over the last few years—making the world a better place. Most recently, that has meant doing his part to stop bullying. Matt witnessed what it was like for some students to be bullied at his school in Berlin, Connecticut. He decided to take action and do something positive for people because he wanted everyone to be respected.

When national plans for an anti-bullying campaign recently began to take shape, Matt saw a cause to which he could contribute. While some schools have excellent prevention plans in place, they are often not enough. Even peer mediation systems, where kids meet to work through their problems with other students, do not completely stop the bullying.

One of the biggest problems is that a lot of bullying goes unreported. It’s not just about the bullies and the victims, says Matt. Bystanders, the people who see bullying happen, have an important role to play in the situation.

“Anyone who sees something should do something,” he says. “Don’t just be bystanders; get involved.”

Matt’s contribution to the anti-bullying campaign is something he wanted to do simply because he understands how wrong