Bullying was the central focus of a two-day conference held in Sioux Falls this week. This year, the South Dakota Character Education Conference featured a presentation by a nationally known expert on reducing bullying.

For some kids, going to school is scary. Not because of the classes they take, but because of the bullying they face. At this year's conference in Sioux Falls, school administrators and educators learned how to reduce bullying in the classroom. Dr. Rick Spurling is a nationally-known expert on the subject. During today's presentation he talked about the trauma students go through when they are victims of, or witnesses to, bullying. He stressed the individual responsibility and influence in eliminating bullying behavior. The conference is sponsored in part by Character Counts, it's a program that teaches kids about the 6 Pillars of Character. Educators and coaches also learned how to help kids be "good sports" on and off the field. It's a little summer learning that can go a long way once students head back to class. For more information on the Character Counts program, click here.