In the age of smart phones and iPads, bullying knows no borders and it doesn't stop when kids come home from school.
It's a constant battleground for some victims, who see Facebook posts or Twitter feeds that pack punches as hurtful as any schoolyard fist.
In Prince George for the three-day ERASE (Expect Respect and a Safe Education) summit conference which wrapped up Wednesday at the Van Bien Training and Development Centre, B.C. Education Minister Don McRae says its vital for adults to become vigilant in monitoring the online activities of their children.
"Many people see bullying as [happening in] a schoolyard with physical violence but especially with the online world and cyberbullying, it's 24/7, and a lot of it doesn't happen in the schoolyard," said McRae. "It happens at home, in the basement, or your bedroom and it has ramifications when you go to school the next day.
"Bullying has always existed, we just have to make sure our teachers, vice-principals and other community leaders like police officers, probation officers have the skill sets to understand this changing world we live in."
In June, three months before McRae took over the education ministry when George Abbott resigned, Premier Christy Clark announced details of the province's 10-point ERASE anti-bullying strategy. Over the next five years, the $2.3 million program will focus on training 15,000 stakeholders to identify the signs of bullying and show them how to use the appropriate support mechanisms to put a stop to it.
During the summit, students told stories about how their lives have been affected by bullying and what schools are doing to stop it. Discussions focused on the dangers of social media, negative peer groups and how to create safer environments for students. Internationally-recognized bullying expert Theresa Campbell of Surrey spoke at the summit on Tuesday. Similar conferences and training seminars have already been held in Fort St. John, Terrace and Castlegar.
School District 57 went live in September with its new Safer Schools website, geared towards students, parents and teachers. The site connects students to social services resources in the community, like the Kids Help Phone, and gives advice on what students can do if they are being bullied, if they are bullying others, or if they see a bullying incident. Available at www.sd57.bc.ca, the site features an online mechanism for students to report incidents of bullying and provides a link to the Education Ministry's Safe, Caring & Orderly Schools Resources website. It offers a guide for parents -- Keeping Your Kids Safe, which provides tips on how to recognize the signs of bullying, harassment and intimidation.
"It may be a change of behaviour, a change of marks, or a sudden withdrawal in their personality," said McRae. "When it comes to bullying and anti-bullying, educators and parents can never have enough information.
"Teachers at the seminar are absolutely engaged and obviously the message that's been given has connected to the educators. If you can connect with your students in the classroom and maybe provide some empathy or some support they wouldn't have otherwise it makes your classroom environment more welcoming for the student [being bullied] but also for all the other students that are there."
McRae said the October suicide death of Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd, a victim of cyberbullying, highlights the need for a co-ordinated effort to help prevent, identify and stop harmful behaviours by children and adults
"Parents have to understand there are some common-sense things they might not think about like where your computer is in your house -- is it in somewhere visible to all or is it in a place where a young person could be having conversations that aren't very healthy, but the parents don't know," said McRae.
"The most important thing is students have to be comfortable saying they are being bullied, so they reach out and get some supports. The saddest part is when a young person is being bullied and they are either not willing or unsure where to turn."
