Canadians have been left shocked by the tragic story of Amanda Todd, a B.C. teen who was tormented by bullying for years before taking her own life.
Many of the older students in the community have been asking questions about the story and the issues surrounding it.
“We did have some questions brought up by our Grade 12 students. Some of the comments were wondering why something like this could happen, how people treat each other, and how social media has really blown it up,” said Tim Gregorash, principal of St. Anthony’s School.
Students at Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) have discussed the issue as well.
“There’s been discussions in various classes. This incident has brought these issues to the forefront now, but we’re always in the process of educating about these issues,” said Lynn Hemming, a teacher and counsellor at DVSS.
To help combat bullying in Drumheller, the schools have implemented programs to teach students tolerance and understanding.
“We’ve had quite a few bullying education session come though. A lot of it is about educating the kids about what bullying is,” said Dave Watson, family resource worker at Greentree School.
Students have also been doing what they can to stop bullying. The Friends of Rachel (FOR) Club have taken time to address bullying with their peers and are seeing their efforts make a difference.
“The FOR club has been trying to get people involved, but we’ve started to see people standing up on their own,” said Allyson Campbell, a FOR Club member.
“For the past two days we’ve had someone come in to talk about sexual harassment and assault. I think a lot of students eyes were opened,” said fellow member Desiree MacFarlane.
In addition to anti-bullying sessions, St. Anthony’s School, Grade 1 students go through the Roots of Empathy program to raise social and emotion competency and empathy. Faith also plays a critical role in how bullying is addressed.
“We’ve always tried to be proactive when dealing with issues of bullying,” said Gregorash. “Our faith is ingrained in all we do, so we talk about how Jesus calls us to love one another.”
Schools can and do take a more direct approach if the situation arises.
“Usually what happens is it becomes a discipline issue. If it’s a bullying situation, it’s not a one-time thing. It’s been happening for awhile. We try to look at the history and why it’s happening. We try to make sure both children get the support they need,” said Watson.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy in regards to bullying, but not the people. Our role as educators is to work on the changing of behaviour,” said Curtis LaPierre, principal of DVSS.
Students and parents are encouraged to contact their school principal if they feel they are being bullied and especially if the bullying is occurring via social networking websites or texting.
Members of the Drumheller Valley Secondary School Friends of Rachel (FOR) Club at a anti-bullying session last year at Greentree School. Schools in Drumheller are taking a proactive approach in regards to bullying and some have taken the time to discuss the Amanda Todd tragedy with students.
