Symposium Explores Ways to Prevent Bullying
From left to right, Trish Bella, Jane Thornthwaite, Brenda Hooker, and Sarah Frigon (foreground) – photo 250News
Prince George, B.C. – Hundreds of high school students from across Northern B.C. gathered at the Prince George Civic Centre today to discuss ways to prevent bullying.
It was student-led and included panel discussions and leadership building workshops.
“This is a very positive, very active group of students,” said school trustee Trish Bella.
“It’s very exciting to see them take on such an important piece in the life of a student and discuss what we can do moving forward.”
Bella’s colleague Brenda Hooker added bullying is an issue school districts can’t ignore.
“I think it’s definitely an issue we have to address and it’s so important for students that we make our schools a positive, exciting place for them to want to be.”
Kelley Road Secondary School student Sarah Frigon is a member of the province’s anti-bullying Me to We Stand Up! program.
“It’s nice to be here and meet so many new people. Everyone’s so nice and no one’s rude or mean.”
And while she says bullying has “died down” at her school, she acknowledges it remains a big issue.
“It’s not as physical anymore. It’s more verbal through rumours and social media.”
The provincial government’s ministry of education put on today’s Erase Bullying symposium.
“We wanted to get to the kids from rural B.C. and make sure that they’re connected to the program Erase and Stand Up! against bullying,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Child Mental Health and Anti-Bullying Jane Thornthwaite.
“We have tremendous differences with the internet. Bullying in our day occurred between 9 & 3 on the school yard but when you went home at 3 you were pretty much okay. Now kids gets bullied 24/7.”
Comments
Firstly how can people be bullied 24/7. Do they stay up 24 hours a day to receive and send messages??? What’s to stop them from shutting off their phones and ignoring the bullies.???
Can these people who put on these Symposiums give us some examples of the bullying they are talking about.
Examples of bullying should be published and posted on the schools blackboards. (Names deleted) so that everyone can be aware of what is taking place in the schools and after school.
Are the parents of the students being bullied made aware of what is happening. Do the parents and the teachers etc; get to-gether to determine who is doing the bullying and what to do about it.
What are the legal ramifications of someone being bullied. Can they charge those doing the bullying, or can they somehow sue them in Civil Court.
If the bullying continues and is attributed to certain students over a extended period of time, can the bullys be removed from the school??
Sometimes situations call for action. Having meetings on how to deal with bullying seems to be the flavor of the week, however if you want to get something done, at some point you have to turn the talk into action,
The parents bully too and actually get away with it nowadays. I certainly hope ALL staff in the schools are REQUIRED to take a bullying program as part of their job. I’m aware of some staff outside the workplace are bullies
It doesn’t matter how many symposiums, conferences, or laws society has, there has always been, and always will be, bullies. Sometimes one must fight fire with fire – have a problem with a bully? Befriend a bigger bully
In my school years, I beat up two bullies. Neither of them bullied people anymore.
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