WAKEFIELD — This past week, 10th grade Wakefield Memorial High School students participated in a UNITE (Upstanders Networking to Intervene, Transform, & Empower) presentation which was delivered in their healthy classes by upperclassmen peer leaders.
Students learned the importance of being an effective upstander while recognizing types of violence seen in our own community—sexual or gender based, physical, bullying, and relationship violence.
Included in this presentation was data from the 2023 YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) which allowed students to understand the reality of violence in the school community.
For instance, the YRBS results indicated that 1-in-15 WMHS students have felt discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexuality with LGBTQ+ identifying students being significantly more at risk.
The second half of the interactive presentation focused on dating violence and the importance of maintaining healthy relationships. Students identified a series of red flags — controlling behavior, isolation, threats, jealousy — throughout videos and scenario-based activities. They also learned several intervention strategies to inspire positive upstander behavior.
To conclude the presentation, students were encouraged to join UNITE leaders in practicing upstander strategies and pledging to utilize intervention strategies to help curb the issue of violence in our school community.
Students were provided with several in-school and out-of-school local resources for support.
The UNITE program was brought to WMHS through a grant that the Wakefield Alliance Against Violence received from the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Foundation.
For more information about WAAV or the UNITE program, email waavcares@gmail.com
