An unlikely role model against bullying

Springfield, Mass. - A local man said the key to ending bullying is to start young and he is taking that message to as many students as he can.

He calls himself Joe the Biker and armed with his guitar and tough guy attitude, he hopes he can reach young students and end the cycle of bullying.

He kicked off his “Stop the Bullying Program” at the Balliet Elementary School Tuesday.

He asked students to raise their hands if they had been affected by bullying, and not surprisingly nearly every one threw up their hands, including Joe the Biker.

Joe, whose real name is Joe Wojcik told 22News he bases his program on his experiences as a child.

"They all have a hard time believing that a guy as big and tough as me was bullied but I was," said Wojcik.

John Davis, a fifth grade student, said, "I think it's kind of sad that he got bullied just because he was big and stuff… no one needs to go through that."

The Westfield man hopes he can change the culture in schools and empower students like 10 year old Prysia Shebaz.

"People treated me differently just because I am small and they thought that if they bullied me that I wouldn't do nothing and they threatened me if I would tell a teacher," she said.

Telling a teacher is exactly what Joe wants kids to do.
Gwen Page, the principal of Balliet Elementary School said they are committed to curbing bullying, mediating situations as soon as possible.

"I don't think it's particular to Balliet I think it that's why there is so much emphasis right now but we are working as best we can here to make sure that it is not something that overwhelms our children," said Page.

For now, Joe the Biker hopes the problem will end with these kids and not in tragedy.

"What Phoebe Prince felt I have felt and now almost 60 years later, I'm 60 years old those memories still come back to haunt me," he said.