NCJ Number
205207
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 380,382
Date Published
February 2004
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes a program designed to address bullying in a high school in Burnaby, British Columbia (Canada).
Abstract
Bullying is viewed as a serious problem in Canadian schools, since it has led to victim suicides and homicides in the most extreme cases. Other consequences include debilitating psychological effects on victims that negatively impact their social life and school performance. Recognizing the serious consequences of bullying behavior, Cst. Alain Benjamin of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, while serving as School Liaison Officer (SLO) in Burnaby, B.C., developed a program in one high school aimed at identifying and working with bullies in an effort to reduce bullying behavior in the school. The program, named "Adopt-A-Bully," involves a daily meeting of the SLO and school administrators to pool information on bullying activities that are occurring in the school. Most bullying incidents are reported by students and sometimes through police files. A list of troublemakers and "persons of interest" in the school is composed. The core of the program is a six-member governing committee composed of the SLO, the school principal, a youth worker, and three vice-principals. Once a bully, or potential bully, has been identified, each of the six members "adopts" him/her for regular monitoring. The monitoring consists of at least two contacts a day between the committee member and the student. "Contact" includes such activities as attending the bully's classes on a random basis; dropping by his/her gym classes; obtaining feedback on the student's behavior from teachers; learning where he/she "hangs out" on breaks and lunch; and ascertaining the type of vehicle the bully drives, where he/she lives, and his/her home situation. The program's goal is to change the bully's attitudes and prevent any behavior or actions detrimental to others. The monitoring often results in bonding between the committee member and the student. The program has resulted in a reduction in the number of bullying incidents reported.