CBS airing special on bullying in RI

(WPRI) - North Providence is being featured Friday night in a CBS special on bullying in schools.

The CBS show 48 Hours is looking at how bullying is escalating and how some schools are responding. 

Eyewitness News Anchor Danielle North spoke with Tracy Smith from CBS News on the special airing on WPRI-12 on Friday night at 8 p.m.

Danielle North asked, "What did you find when you were at the school?"

Tracy Smith replied, "Birchwood Middle School opened their doors to us for six months. We spent time at the school looking at bullying. They have openly acknowledged that they have a problem with bullying, but they're actually taking action to address it; little things like setting up bullying boxes where you can report bullying if it's happening, anonymously in these little boxes they put in classrooms and around the school. They have had a play about bullying, the have mentoring and support groups. It's all these little steps that they are taking that have made a huge difference."

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"What are some of the most alarming things you uncovered in your report?"

Smith responded, "Unfortunately, even in Providence there was a young man who was bullied to his breaking point and luckily he found the help that he needed. But, across the country, I have talked to so many parents who lost children, whose children committed suicide after being bullied. That is the extreme. The other side of it is that there are 160,000 children everyday who don't go to school because they are scared of being bullied."

Watch the 48 Hours Special on WPRI-12 on Friday night at 8 p.m.