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BY JOSH DAVIDSON Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN — A township resident recently presented his ideas on teaching non-violence to children at the United Nations.
George Anthony, a conflict resolution consultant for Peace Dynamics Consultants, Middletown, spoke at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Jan. 30.
He presented his ideas on the importance of conflict prevention and resolution in schools as part of the seventh Season for Nonviolence, a national campaign from Jan. 30 to April 4 to show the benefits of nonviolence. The 64-day campaign is also held to remember the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
"I addressed the conference on the relevance of the teachings of Dr. King and Mahatma Gandhi in the lives of students today," Anthony said. "I also spoke about connecting their words to the issues that surround us today. Often times students who commit bullying behaviors against other students or commit vandalism against school property generally do so because they feel disconnected from their school and their peers."Students are less likely to be violent towards one another if they feel tied to each other and their school, he said.
The key to Anthony’s speech is providing listeners with information on how to help students connect, become leaders and find their voice, he said.
"A school is a community, so we have to find a way to connect people to their schools," he said. "It’s not just important to connect teachers to students, but also students to students."
Telling children that it is all right to be different should be a focus of all adults, he said. Musical artists and the media may be the platform children learn from nowadays, but they do not teach them healthy ways to treat each other, he said. Anthony said his role is to guide children on important social skills and to let them apply his teachings.
"My feeling is, get these skills to the kids and let them use it on each other," he said.
Children are shown that if they are hit or called a name, there are other options other than physically or verbally abusive retaliation, Anthony said.
"Violence breeds violence," he said. "You don’t have to respond by hitting back."
Children are trained to bring others who normally don’t socialize out of their shells, he said.
"A key component is to start a leadership group," he said. "Their job is to find a kid whose head is down or isn’t connected and find a way to connect them."
Aside from lack of socialization, marital problems and poor discipline by parents at home can cause children to become violent at school, he said. A child not receiving proper attention at home can benefit from positive interaction with peers at school.
Anthony has trained students on nonviolence and leadership at local schools, including the St. Benedict School in Holmdel and Keyport Central School.
Some school administrators, however, don’t feel the program should be given a priority in their budget over preparation for scholastic testing, Anthony said.
"The scariest part is, this is all common sense, but in this day and age of testing and testing we forget people’s needs," he said.
Anthony has been involved in education for 20 years and now teaches history and conflict resolution at the Susan Wagner High School in Staten Island, N.Y. He was trained in conflict resolution at Columbia University, New York City, and by anti-bias groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, also in New York City.
Anthony will be a keynote speaker on April 17 at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, along with Lindy P. Crescitelli and Rachel Simmons, author of the book "Odd Girl Out," about females and aggression.
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