Standing up to bullying as a kid made Janice Collins interested in the issues of bullying.

Collins, an assistant professor of journalism, said as a child she stood up for those who were continuously bullied.

“I’ve never been bullied. I have been the protector, however, of people who have been bullied,” Collins said.

Since 2005, Collins has been researching issues of bullying and said she wants to pose some of her questions at the “Town Hall Tonight: Speaking the Unspoken: Addressing the Bullies in us all” at 7 p.m. today in the Buzzard Hall Auditorium.

“I wanted to have a discussion open to the public about the many different levels and areas of bullying,” Collins said. “When we think of bullying, most of the time we think of students in school. What we don’t think about is the bullying that exists among adults.”

Collins said this show is meant to start the discussion on the topic of bullying and to help people look at themselves to make sure they are not bullying others.

Collins said she hopes to get people to think about ways they can help stop bullying.

“I think we really have to look at ourselves, a lot closer than we have been, as an integrated part of society,” Collins said. “If I am not doing anything to stop bullying then perhaps I am part of the problem.”

Collins said this idea is why she helped those who were bullied as a kid.

Collins said she was in second grade when she saw a kid being beaten up.

“I’ll never forget him, because I only met him once,” Collins said. “Being a military brat, you learn to meet people very quickly, and it makes an impact on your life.”

Collins said she was walking home when she saw the kid being beaten up and she stepped in to help.

“Being the popular one in school, the most athletic in school, students liked me,” Collins said. “Even at that young age I found a way to go over, get them off of him, and tell them that from then on he is my best friend and we will walk home everyday together, and no one will hurt him again.”

Collins said by making him her best friend, it stopped the physical abuse and also helped elevate his social status.

“It put him in a location that said ‘Hey, he is worthy and he has some self value,'” Collins said.

Collins said this led her to the question of why people do not do more themselves.

“I question, is it time as a people to take back the morality that is gone, human kindness to one another?” Collins said.

Collins said she will pose questions such as religious tolerance, sexual orientation and other areas of bullying that need to be explored.

The Town Hall Tonight will be aired on WEIU TV at 6 p.m. on Friday, midnight on Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“I know at times it’ll be passionate, and I’m OK with that, and they will be verbalizing what bullying means to them,” Collins said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.