Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro kicked off his anti-bullying listening tour with a forum at Phoenixville High School, writes Evan Brandt for The Norristown Times Herald.

The recent event was the first of six forums in which Shapiro talks to students about bullying and cyber-bullying in schools.

The inaugural forum featured a panel of seniors from Phoenixville, Coatesville, and Downingtown West high schools, along with 60 students. Students welcomed the chance to participate, with the three panelists offering their perspectives.

Panelist Jordan Ford from Phoenixville said cyber-bullying is more prevalent because it’s more likely to go unchallenged.

Meanwhile, panelists Grace Kennedy from Coatesville and Max Minnier from Downingtown West agreed that cyber-bullying on social media platforms is a bigger problem than in-person physical bullying.

Among the suggestions on how to better deal with the issue were ensuring that teachers had more time to listen, as well as better promotion of in-school student resources.

Shapiro emphasized that he sees bullying and cyber-bullying as critically important issues.

“I believe we need to do a better job of listening and understanding what’s really happening in our schools and how we can best address it,” he said.

Read more about the forum in The Norristown Times Herald here.

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