Douglas Mayor's Youth Council focuses on bullying prevention, issues proclamation

Tommy Watkins, area director for Big Country Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes, told the Douglas Mayor's Youth Council on Oct. 20 that every student has value and that peers should intervene when they see bullying.

“We need to hear and we need to know that everyone is important,” Watkins said, linking the message to faith and community service and noting the FCA’s reach in the region: more than 100 clubs and involvement from over 4,000 students and coaches.

The council then heard a school-based perspective from Jill Puit, Coffee County’s eighth-grade counselor, who outlined a working definition of bullying—intentional, repeated, power-based behavior—and cited a Rachel’s Challenge finding that about 22% of U.S. students aged 12 to 18 report having experienced bullying. Puit said research shows punitive “zero-tolerance” policies rarely stop bullying and urged building a connected school culture, stronger adult responses and more counseling capacity.

Junior clerk Jada Marshall opened a student-led discussion about online harassment, and students described anonymous accounts, group chats and rapid sharing on platforms such as Instagram as tools that spread and normalize bullying. Students and counselors emphasized practical steps: speak to adults if a peer appears suicidal, listen first to a struggling friend, then notify a trusted school or family adult.

Mayor Tony P. spoke directly to students about leadership and responsibility, urging them to “speak up” for peers and offering his phone number as a resource for young people who might not feel comfortable approaching counselors or teachers. He also cited a recent local period of multiple suicide attempts as a reminder of the stakes involved in timely intervention.

Harry, president of the Know Your Worth ambassadors at Coffee High School, described being targeted as a child and said adult responses had at times minimized the harm. “Just because you’re different doesn’t make you less than,” he told the council, urging students to reach out to classmates who appear isolated.

After the presentations and discussion, the council read a proclamation declaring October Bullying Prevention Month in the City of Douglas, calling for awareness activities and encouraging adults and students to respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior.

Procedural business at the meeting included voice approvals of the agenda and minutes and a motion to adjourn; those votes were taken by voice and recorded on the record as having no opposers. The council also publicized volunteer opportunities — including a teen court mock trial on Nov. 1 — and community mentoring programs.

The meeting closed after the youth council adopted the proclamation and completed a brief photo opportunity.