PITTSFIELD – Everybody has seen or heard them. They yell names like “fatso.” They keep new kids out of playground games. They knock books out of children’s hands. They are schoolyard bullies, and every seven seconds in this country they attack another child.

In Maine, efforts are being made to prevent bullying before it becomes a problem. One in particular, at Warsaw Middle School in Pittsfield, starts where the issue is most immediate – among the pupils.

An estimated 3.2 million children are victims of bullying each year, according to national statistics.

Studies also prove that playground bullies continue their ways when they grow up. Escalated cases of marketplace bullying are being reported, and police frequently deal with domestic violence and elder abuse where bullying is involved.

When Skowhegan Police Chief Butch Asselin testified last week before a congressional committee on education in Washington, he laid out some frightening statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Justice:

. One out of four children is bullied.

. One out of five children admits to being a bully or doing some bullying.

. Eight percent of students miss one day of class per month for fear of bullies.

. 43 percent fear harassment in the restroom at school.

. 100,000 students carry a gun to school.

. 28 percent of youths who carry weapons have witnessed violence at home.

. 282,000 pupils are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.

Asselin told the congressional committee that a clear connection exists between youth bullies and violent adult criminals.

“When bullies are allowed to progress through school without their intimidating and violent behavior being addressed, they often become a danger not only to the school, but also the whole community,” he said.

He said the key to combat this escalation of violence is early prevention programs. Asselin is a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Maine and is lobbying for the passage of HR 4776, a bipartisan bullying prevention bill.

“Bullying is a ticking time bomb in our schools and society. Congress should facilitate the implementation of research-proven prevention programs throughout our schools,” Asselin testified.

Back home in Maine this weekend, Asselin said research has shown that prevention programs can dramatically reduce bullying in schools. “A model program developed in Norway reduced bullying by 50 percent, and the same program in South Carolina dropped bullying by 20 percent,” he said.

He noted that “the scary thing is that the kids being bullied often strike back, like at Columbine. Victims can become dangerous people, too.”

At Warsaw Middle School, zero tolerance is the expectation for bullying.

“Where you have students, you have bullying,” said Principal Arnold Shorey. The middle school has instituted two programs to combat the problems: a civil rights team, which educates pupils on diversity and respect; and trained peer mediators, who deal with conflict resolution.

Shorey said a teacher recently reported that when a student greeted another by calling, “Hey, dog face,” at least five other students immediately responded by saying, “Hey, that’s not right.”

“Our policy seems to be working,” he said. Staff reaction at Warsaw Middle School depends a lot on the level of bullying. “Is it name calling or intimidation? Once a bully begins to gain power, we handle it immediately,” said Shorey.

But he admits there is a fine line between the bully and the victim, who display strikingly similar characteristics.

According to www.bullying.org, a nonprofit Internet support site, both bullies and victims are the most insecure, the least likable and the most unsuccessful in school. Both bullies and victims also report low self-esteem and depression.

“The bully needs education and support, too,” Shorey said.

“At this age, their self-esteem is so fragile,” said Shorey. “They can easily be hurt by accusations or just a look. We are trying to help them figure out just how to deal with those feelings. Our teachers do a lot to let kids know they care and deal with the children with respect.”

Nipping bullying in the bud is the goal, stressed Asselin.

“Bullying is not about anger,” he said. “It is about control. Its forms change with age: school playground bullying, sexual harassment, gang attacks, date violence, assault and domestic assault, child abuse, workplace harassment and elder abuse. Only by accepting this behavior can we give bullies power.”