A recent Pirates’ Hook survey suggests bullying rates at Riverside are down 100% since the BMX anti-bullying tour, known as NoHateTour, came to campus on March 14.
“Watching grown men do tricks on bikes half their size has inspired a wave of peace across the school,” said principal, Gloria Woods-Weeks.
“We had tried other strategies to wipe out bullying here,” said administrator Jasmine McKoy.
“The thirty minute long presentations during homeroom, which everyone attends weekly, helped but it didn’t end the school-wide issue completely,”said administrator Will Okun .
According to a guide published by the Australian Institute of Family Sciences, it’s important for schools to provide adequate supervision and take an interest in kids’ lives. That took the form of teachers watching students watch the performers do stunts in the upper gym, and the early results suggest it worked.
“I was going to steal some freshman’s lunch money, but after watching those guys balance on their bike handles, I no longer have hate in my heart,” one survey responder wrote.
Additionally to BMX bikers, the assembly also featured marines who hosted a pull up contest, which students say also pressured them to stand up against bullying.
“Seeing the brave Americans that fight for our country host a pull up contest and showcase their strength without using it to beat up others was so eye opening for me,” said senior survey responder, Rowan Gibney, an infamous long-time bully at Riverside.
Due to the end of bullying at Riverside and the correlation with BMX biking, admin plans to bring the assembly back to Riverside again in March 2026.
“Not only do we plan on having the NoHateTour return,” said admin, “ but we also plan on replacing speed bumps on the school’s perimeter with ramps, so students can also spread positivity by doing stunts on bikes.”
