Nov. 25--Cell phones and social networking Web sites have added new a dimension to bullying: it's often silent.

"It's more secretive," said Tracy Vitale, Seneca Valley School District's assistant superintendent of human resources and pupil services. "We aren't necessarily seeing the bullying. We're hearing about it."

It also can be pervasive.

"E-mail rumors can go out to 300 people at once," Ms. Vitale noted.

To combat bullying and address the new aspects brought about by technology, the district has instituted the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, underwritten by Highmark's Healthy High 5 Bullying Prevention Institute.

The program, which Highmark says is being used in 138 schools in the state, aims to decrease bullying through increased awareness, districtwide rules, training for faculty and staff, and community outreach.

It is based on the research of Swedish psychologist Dan Olweus and focuses on involving teachers, encouraging students to speak up for themselves and for others, and targeting areas where bullying occurs.

Seneca Valley implemented the program at the beginning of this school year. More than 1,500 employees -- including the superintendent, secretaries, teachers, substitutes, coaches and bus drivers -- have been trained in the Olweus program. Parents and local clergy members also came in for training, Ms. Vitale said.

"A lot of adults think bullying has been around forever and we got through it OK, so why do we need training," Ms. Vitale said. "But bullying isn't about adults. It happens to kids."

Some grown-ups never got over the trauma of being bullied.

The program provides boxes in which students can anonymously report bullying, reinforcing the idea that telling someone about bullying is not tattling and encouraging students to stop bullying as it happens.

"We teach them that it's OK to say 'Stop that! That's not nice!' " Ms. Vitale said. "You assume [students] know that, but they don't."

In addition, teachers talk with students about bullying for at 30 minutes each week.

It would have cost Seneca more than $400,000 to implement the program on its own, Ms. Vitale said.

The district has committed to the program for three years. It will survey students each spring for the next two years to find out more information about bullying -- where is it happening and whether it is better or worse than before.

"This program says we're going to look at this a different way," Ms. Vitale said.

Rachael Conway can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 724-772-4799.

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