"School districts, schools, families and communities are working together to create an environment of respect and are making our schools and streets safer," says Premier Campbell. "All across British Columbia,
parents, teachers and students and community members are taking a stand against bullying and saying that no one should ever be made to feel intimidated, afraid or discriminated against."

At College Heights Secondary, students wil be  stomping on pink balloons later today, to  show how they are "stomping out  bullying".

 

The Ministry of Education has developed a resource for parents that will  be distributed to all public, independent and band schools to help families better understand their shared role in bullying prevention. The
parent resource brochure and Internet safety tips are published in 14 languages and can be found online at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sco/.

All 60 school districts have codes of conduct in place reflecting the legislation passed in the fall of 2007.

 

It isn't easy to recognize if your child is the victim of bullying or is bullying others, but there are some  signs which  should raise some flags that:

 
* Is your child complaining of being poorly treated?
* Have you noticed signs of changed behaviour? Sleeplessness? Anxiety? Loss of appetite?
* Angry outbursts? Being sick in the morning?
* Being more aggressive towards siblings?
* Is your child unwilling/afraid to leave the house, wanting to change their route to school, or skipping school?
* Is your child talking about dropping out while remaining vague about the reasons?
* Is your child coming home with torn clothes, unexplained bruises, new clothes or other items, or money not accounted for?
* Is your child talking about responding to other students' behaviour in a way that may result in the school taking disciplinary action against your child?
* Have your child's grades dropped dramatically?