Chelsea Masartis knows all too well what it feels like to be bullied, teased and tormented.

"A lot of the stuff we're talking about today, I went through myself," the Knoch High School sophomore told eighth-graders at Knoch Middle School. "And I don't want you guys to have to go through it."

	Post-Gazette Knoch High School teacher Lisa Knappenberger, middle, tries to direct a mixed group of South Butler School District high school and middle school students through their intertwined arms during a game of Knots, a team-building exercise on the first day of presentations in the school's Ophelia Project, designed to reduce peer aggression and bullying. Click photo for larger image.

Chelsea and other high school students in the South Butler School District were at the middle school Wednesday to present a program based on the Ophelia Project.

That nonprofit project was founded in Erie in 1997 by psychologist Susan Wellman, whose daughter was the victim of schoolyard bullies. Inspired by a book called "Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls," the project aims to increase social and emotional support for adolescent girls.

The title of the book, by Mary Pipher, refers to Hamlet's girlfriend, who, as described by Dr. Pipher, loses her identity when she falls in love with Hamlet and lives only for his approval. In the tragedy by Shakespeare, Ophelia loses her mind and drowns when Hamlet rejects her.

The Ophelia Project has expanded its efforts to educate adolescent boys and girls about aggression among young people, such as peer pressure and bullying, and how it can be overcome.

"It targets behaviors that are hurtful to others," said Rick Cavett, assistant principal at Knoch Middle School. Such behaviors, he said, "can affect people for the rest of their lives. ... Sometimes, the scars can be very deep."

Mr. Cavett said staff members know such aggression occurs in the school, but find that it is often difficult to catch.

He added that the behavior isn't limited to girls. "Guys do it, too. They just exhibit the behavior a little differently," he said.

About 50 high school students volunteered their time to learn about the Ophelia Project, spending the past seven months in after-school sessions to receive training in how to present the program to younger classmates.

Mr. Cavett said he was amazed by the dedication the older students showed in learning about the program.

"We feel this is important because we have many kids who have trouble concentrating on their instruction and schooling when they're worrying about this stuff," Mr. Cavett said. "We adults can do things to help, but students also have the power to change their school environment."

Several of the senior high students who presented the program said they got involved because they had experienced bullying or they had seen friends or family members being bullied.

Junior Holly Davis said her sister and brother in middle school had told her that bullying and other acts of aggression were increasing problems in the school.

Sophomore Courtney Christy said her friends in seventh grade had told her they were continually harassed and bullied. She said had seen how it affects them, and that she hoped to help spread the word that aggression is not OK and should not be tolerated.

After a presentation by Mr. Cavett and the high school students, the middle school youngsters were asked to participate in several team-building activities to help improve communication and cooperation.

In one of the activities, the younger pupils were asked to line up in the order of their birthdays, but they were not allowed to talk in order to tell each other their birth dates. The pupils held up fingers and used their hands to indicate dates, and they did fairly well in putting themselves in the correct order without speaking a word.

The presentation, How Kids Hurt Each Other, was the first of a two-part series involved with the Ophelia Project. In the spring, high school students will return to present How Kids Help Each Other.

The program, which was brought to the school by Mr. Cavett and teacher Lisa Knappenberger, is being funded by a Pennsylvania Safe Schools Grant.