By Philip Haldiman, Independent Newsmedia

School is meant to be a bully-free zone, free from loneliness, but often this isn’t true.

However, some  schools in the Peoria Unified School District have a new place where kids can go to avoid bullies, and maybe more importantly, make friends.

Councilwoman Vicki Hunt has donated city funds for five Buddy Benches to the elementary schools in the Acacia District, which she represents.

The Acacia District covers southern parts of the city and includes the Peoria Municipal Campus. The total cost of the benches is $350, installed at Cotton Boll, Santa Fe, Sundance, Ira A. Murphy and Peoria elementary schools.

Each bench, customized with the school’s logo, was placed in a shady spot of the elementary playgrounds.

The purpose is to promote inclusion, and prevent bullying or loneliness in schools, Ms. Hunt said.

“Perhaps a child is new to a school and hasn’t made friends yet.  He or she goes and sits on the Buddy Bench and signals other kids that he would like a friend,” she said. “The same happens if a child is being bullied. He or she can go sit on the bench in the hopes that someone kind will come and sit there.”

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first federal uniform definition of bullying for research and surveillance. The core elements of the definition include: unwanted aggressive behavior; observed or perceived power imbalance; and repetition of behaviors or high likelihood of repetition. There are many different modes and types of bullying.

About 28 percent of U.S. students in grades 6–12 have experienced bullying, according to a 2011 study by the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Last summer, Ms. Hunt learned about Buddy Benches from a magazine article and thought it would be a good idea for Peoria schools. She partnered with Boy Scout Britton Hadley for an Eagle Scout project.

Hadley, 14, went to Cotton Boll from kindergarten to fifth grade and is now a freshman at Raymond S. Kellis High School. He said the Eagle Scout project started last July and is nearly complete with only the paperwork left to be submitted.

He helped build the footers for the benches, pour the concrete and meet with each principal to decide where to put the benches. He also gathered supplies from Lowe’s, which donated the concrete.

Hadley said the project has been a lot of work, but it has been worth it.

“I’ve  gotten emails from principals and they are saying it is helping,” he said. “If a student is new to school and doesn’t have friends and they sit there, that indicates they need someone to play with. A kind, caring person can sit with that person.”

PUSD spokeswoman Erin Dunsey said Peoria Unified is grateful for Councilmember Hunt’s support and the opportunity to have Buddy Benches.

In the fall, the district focused on anti-bullying during Internet Safety Week and is currently holding an Anti-Bullying Art Contest with the city of Peoria for students, she said.

“The (benches) demonstrate another facet of our strong relationship with the city of Peoria and supports our mission to combat bullying,” Ms. Dunsey said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and Peoria Unified offers age-appropriate materials for students to address this all-too-important issue.”

School safety

For more information on school safety and bullying, visit peoriaunified.org/schoolsafety.