STOKES COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County Schools hosted a bullying prevention and intervention session on Monday.
The district said certain patterns of harassment or bullying violate district policy. Outside of Monday's event, a behavioral health expert and Triad parent stressed that actions speak louder than words when referencing bullying.
"Talk to your kids first thing in the morning, after they get home from school, and before bed. Anxiety and depression are grouped into your gut and people don't realize that when your kid always says, 'My belly hurts. I don't want to go to school,' indicates that there may be some sort of stressor going on that we need to intervene in," Registered Nurse Tirzah Cooper said.
Cooper is an expert in behavioral health in both children and adults.
Experts said conversations like this can allow parents to get insight into their children's lives.
Stokes County parent Jimmy Fagg said his daughter died by suicide just over a month ago. He believes her death stemmed from bullying.
"I didn't recognize this until after my daughter passed. The last three months of school, every other day she was saying, 'Daddy, I don't feel good, can I come home?' I thought she was just trying to get out of school and now I realize it's because of the bullying."
Fagg said he misses his daughter more than ever after the sudden tragedy.
"She was everything to me that was right with the world, and I don't wanna see any other parent have to go through what we have," Fagg reflected. "My son has woken up in the middle of the night crying. We had nightmares."
Fagg is starting a non-profit organization called Kindness for Kallie. The organization plans to provide resources for families affected by bullying. He wants parents to pay close attention to their kids.
Experts warn isolation or even children being protective of their phones can be a sign of bullying.