In solidarity with the National Bullying Prevention Month of October, Jamestown High School developed a display with paper-cutout hands signed by students that is visible in the Crown Street Roasting Company window on Third Street. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

A window display of paper hands and black and white photos featuring students with the words “Stop Bullying” written on their own hands can be seen on Third Street inside the Crown Street Roasting Company.

With the theme of students lending a hand to stop bullying, Jamestown High School collaborated with Chautauqua Tapestry, Chautauqua Mental Health and Hygiene, Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the Crown Street Roasting Company to create the display. The campaign was orchestrated in solidarity with the month of October, the National Bullying Prevention Month. The window display previously presented a suicide awareness message for the month of September organized by the Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

The display features more than 1,000 paper cutouts in the shape of hands. Each one was signed by a student or multiple students with positive messages written on them. The messages all promote kindness and anti-bullying sentiments.

“Our entire student body and faculty participated,” said Susan Mead, school psychologist.

The black and white photos feature students involved with the JHS anti-bullying club with paint on their hands spelling out “Stop Bullying.”

“My favorite part of the project was the photos of our students. Their photographs are what makes this display stand out,” Mead said.

The high school club known as the Gay Straight Alliance also participated with the campaign.

Mead said the goal of the project was to raise awareness on bullying and the actual definition of what bullying is. She said the terms “bully” and “bullying” are often thrown around loosely.

Bullying is defined by stopbullying.gov as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying can be displayed through verbal, social and physical forms.

Mead was contacted by Victoria Patti of Chautauqua Tapestry and the Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention, in September with idea of filling the display with an anti-bullying message. Patti’s intern from the State University of New York at Fredonia, Christina Breen, was instrumental in creating the theme for the display along with Mead.

“We really wanted to get that information out there about anti-bullying and get the youth involved,” said Ann Rosenthal, public relations coordinator for Chautauqua Tapestry. “We really feel that is something we need to address in the community.”

Mead said the feedback from the students, staff and faculty was only positive. She estimated that more than 1,500 people, including the student body, staff and faculty, signed the cutout hands.

Eighty-nine home rooms in the high school and class rooms in the Tech Academy were provided with the paper-cutout hands in preparation for the display.

“While working on the window, it was such a positive feeling to see some of the messages students wrote on the hands, as well as just seeing familiar student and faculty names,” Mead said.

Mead said the overall participation was special and said the entire experience was positive.

“I do think it helped bring unit and it’s a step in the right direction,” she said.

The “Stop Bullying” display will remain in the Crown Street Roasting Company for the rest of October.