“We all have the potential to be someone’s hero,” Tom Murphy told students at Brockport Oliver Middle School on Wednesday, March 16, during one of his “Sweethearts and Heroes” anti-bullying assemblies.
Murphy co-developed the program, which goes beyond awareness and provides an action-based approach to stop bullying.
A professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitor and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran, Murphy tells students he, “hates fighting.”
“Do not confuse violence and aggression,” he told students. “I do not fight, I compete against my opponents.”
The Sweethearts and Heroes program is unique because it gives students an action plan for dealing with bullying behavior. The program helps those who are targets of bullying, but especially works to empower bystanders. “You are the solution,” Murphy said.
He notes that we have “zero tolerance” for bullying behavior, but, “96 percent of the time, bullies get away with it.”
Murphy told the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald, “Kids don’t listen to speakers, they don’t listen to parents, they don’t listen to teachers … they watch other kids. Our goal is to reach those kinds of kids.”
He explains that students have never been taught what to do when they see bullying occur. He encourages them to act at several different levels – with kind words and concern for targets; by taking targets away from the bully; and by not being afraid to confront those who are bullying.
“You can choose to give somebody hope,” he told students. “You can choose to be somebody’s sweetheart. You must choose to do something.”
The program also works to create empathy in students. Murphy opens their eyes to the difficult life challenges some of their peers face at home and how those situations can lead to being a target or a bully.
He was joined at the Oliver Middle School assembly by Rick Yarosh, a veteran of the Iraqi War, who suffered severe burns in 2006 when his tank was blown up by an IED.
Yarosh was disfigured from the burns he suffered. He told students they really can make a difference in the lives of others – just like someone made a difference in his – by striving to provide encouragement and H.O.P.E. – Hold On, Possibilities Exist – to others.
“You know kids who need that H.O.P.E,” Yarosh, who was accompanied by his service dog, Amos, said. “You must create environments of H.O.P.E. Imagine what you can do.”
Oliver Middle School Principal Melody Martinez-Davis told the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald that students were very engaged during the assemblies.
“They were hooked from the beginning,” she said. “The program is very interactive.”
Murphy has presented to more than one million students since 2011. Brockport was one of seven school districts in Monroe County hosting the Sweethearts and Heroes assemblies.
“Middle school principals got together to bring the message all over Monroe County,” Martinez-Davis said. She noted that students from different districts often interact at sports events and music events. “We wanted to make sure they are all hearing the same message,” she said.
