South Bronx fair aims to empower community to stop bullying

Takhya (l.), 12, and Sariyah, 11 were having fun on Wednesday, July 17 at the New York Psychotherapy & Counseling Center's fifth anti-bullying fair in the South Bronx.
Takhya (l.), 12, and Sariyah, 11 were having fun on Wednesday, July 17 at the New York Psychotherapy & Counseling Center’s fifth anti-bullying fair in the South Bronx.
Photo ET Rodriguez

Along Alexander Avenue between 137th and 135th Streets in the South Bronx, young children bounced in an inflatable castle while some older kids were harnessed and taught by NYPD Community Affairs officers on the ground as they dared to climb a 30-foot monolith and a Mister Softee truck offered free ice cream to anyone that asked at the New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center’s (NYPCC) fifth Anti-Bullying Fair on Wednesday, July 17.

Dozens of community organizations were on hand to provide information on how to live healthier lives in the physical, emotional and mental sense.

“We want to bring awareness, we want to educate and we want to empower parents, youth and community-based organizations across the Bronx to stop bullying [and] understand how to prevent bullying,” said Scott Bloom, director of special projects and initiatives for NYPCC and a licensed clinical social worker. “Also the resources — that’s the beauty of this fair, the resources.”

Amongst those resources were Liberty Dental offering free teeth screenings; Guns Down, Life Up; The Haus of the Performing Arts; the Bronx Defenders; Morris Heights Health Center; the Mitchell House Community Center (which is the New York City Housing Authority residential complex in Mott Haven); and many more.

The local community center runs a Saturday Night Lights program in which teens and young adults can play basketball on Saturday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. in an effort to get them off the streets and into doing something physical. The center also offers volleyball, entrepreneurship workshops, beat-making classes and more.

A little girl gave it her all playing tennis on Alexander Avenue on Wednesday, July 17.Photo ET Rodriguez
There were dozens of tents offering information and resources to the community, as well as nifty swag.Photo ET Rodriguez

“Bullying is a disease and we have to treat it as such,” Jason Carter said to the crowd while offering a few words at the fair.

Carter lives at the Mitchell Houses that stand on Alexander Avenue where the fair took place and works as an engagement coordinator with the Mayor’s Action Plan, a crime reduction initiative that uses community members in place of police and targets public housing. His tactic is to create events that bring seniors and children together to build a bridge across the generations and foster familiarity and kinship.

But what is bullying and why does it matter?

The dictionary defines a bully as a blustering, mean or predatory person who intimidates, abuses, harasses or coerces people; cyber-bullying involves the same sentiments, but via an online platform. According to 2023 data by Pew Research, more than half of U.S. teens have reported online bullying and harassment as a “major problem” with a higher rate amongst girls and the classroom being the most common location for bullying to occur.

‘[Bullying] can lead to issues with self-esteem, anxiety, depression and in worst case scenario, suicide ideation,” Bloom said during his speech to the fair-goers. “And of course, if anyone needs mental health services, NYPCC is in your community.”

The counseling center which celebrates 50 years of service expanded their office at 579 Cortlandt Ave. last year. And while NYPCC has been operating for half a century, its anti-bullying coalition wasn’t created until 2018 when there was a noticeable trend in cyber-bullying, according to Bloom.

These little siblings enjoyed free Mister Softee ice cream, courtesy of the Anti-Bullying Fair on Alexander Avenue on Wednesday, July 17.Photo ET Rodriguez
Elliott Klein (l.), CEO of the New York Psychotherapy & Counseling Center, receives a proclamation from the city for their 50 years of service, presented by Lorean Valentin, community liaison for the New York City Council.
A 30-foot rock wall was a main attraction for the daring at the anti-bullying fair on Wednesday.Photo ET Rodriguez

On Saturday, July 13, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks was killed by Secret Service agents after he attempted to assassinate Donald Trump. Soon thereafter, media outlets published stories about how the boy was bullied in school with a leaked video at the crux of it.

There is evidence that repeated bullying and highly victimized populations have a higher prevalence of carrying a gun, according to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

“How the kids are treated, if they are being bullied, if there is violence in the home as well, they start realizing, rather than talking to somebody about their emotions and what they’re going through, it has to come out some way,” said Bloom. “So, typically, it will come out either physically, verbally or now we know about cyberbullying.”

Sariyah Torres, 11, is about 5 feet tall with a mouth full of braces and a sweet smile. She was out enjoying the sun with her older niece, Takhaya Belle, 12. Torres has been a victim of bullying, but admitted to only considering physical abuse as bullying and not verbal harassment until her mother taught her that words, too, can have a painful impact.

“They will say something about my mom or something that like gets me really mad,” said Torres.

Shania James, 13, attended the fair with a friend and she, too, said she had been bullied for being fat, which she was not. How does she cope?

“I ignore it because I know who I am,” said James. “I know I’m beautiful.”

Some signs of bullying can include unexplained anxiety, anger, sadness or fear;,failing grades and trouble sleeping. If you or someone you know has been or is being bullied, talk to a friend, a parent, a teacher a counselor, anyone you trust or contact NYPCC at (718) 908-8000. You can also walk in, their South Bronx office is open seven days a week.

The New York Psychotherapy & Counseling Service celebrated their fifth annual Anti-Bullying Fair on Alexander Avenue on Wednesday, July 17.Photo ET Rodriguez

This article was updated on July 24 at 5:22 p.m.


Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes