Bullying Bylaws
Lynne Bell
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ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I recently spotted something on Facebook:
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ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ β1944: Eighteen-year-olds storm in beaches of Normandy to almost certain death.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ β2016: Eighteen-year-olds need a safe place because words hurt their feelings.β
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ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ This, in a rather roundabout way leads me to the topic of this week's column, which is Saskatoon City Council's decision to seriously consider instituting a bullying bylaw. One proposed version of the bylaw would make it an offence to bully anyone at schools in Saskatoon, or any other public place within the city, including playgrounds and shopping malls. Another version that will be presented to council will apply only to schools and school sites. Both versions of the proposed bylaws define bullying as βany provoked, repeated and inappropriate comment or action intended to cause harm, fear or distress.β It specifically refers to actions that include βname-calling, pushing, gossiping and rumour-mongering.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ As in criminal law, no one under the age of 12 can be convicted. However, anyone over the age of 12 can be fined up to $300 and for subsequent convictions, fines can climb from $300 to $2,500. Charges can also be addressed via mediation with the victim's consent and if other conditions are met.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Which brings me back to the quote I read on Facebook. There are certainly arguments to be made against this type of local legislation-including the obvious: 'What's up with kids these days? Why are they such wimps?'
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ However, retired Saskatoon Police Chief Brian Trainor-who now addresses anti-bullying in schools across Saskatchewan-told CBC News that he was overwhelmingly in favour of Saskatoon's propsed bylaw.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI love it,β said Trainor. βIt's so needed because it's a tool that police will have in their tool belt... (It's) a real nice middle ground that allows police to do something that is more restorative than punishing,β adding, βShort of criminal charges, what else can the police do? I don't want to criminalize our kids.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ As someone who once worked in a school that was torn apart by the actions of one grade school bully, I realize what a complex and damaging problem bullying is-and the mess I witnessed was in a nice, middle-class school community that was highly motivated to solve the problem. I can only imagine what it's like for students in schools lacking the means or motivation to tackle bullying head-on.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ With the advent of social media, bullying can be ongoing and has the potential to-literally-never end for victims.Μύ
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Regina has had an anti-bullying and public fighting bylaw for 10 years. It includes schools and school grounds as public places, but its definition of bullying doesn't specifically include gossip or rumour-mongering. Charges under the Queen City's bylaw can result in a simple $100 fine, but ifΜύ bullying results in a court appearance, fines can reach $2,000. There is no option of mediation, but in some cases, an individual can attend an anti-bullying course instead of paying a fine.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Since its inception in 2006, the Regina Police Service have charged 44 people under the bylaw-and one of them was 55-years-old, which is a depressing indication that perhaps, some folks never grow up.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ However, it's also an indication that bullying is a tough thing to tackle and Saskatchewan's two largest cities deserve credit for trying.
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Μύ Μύ Μύ Μύ Μύ Μύ ΜύAnti-bullying bylaws, really society?
By Kelly Running
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ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Over the last few years it seems as though bullying has become a bigger issue than it ever was than when I was in school.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I do remember one incident, which resulted in a girl leaving school to be homeschooled. It was mostly the boys who were relentless saying she wasnβt pretty and smelled bad. Low blows to a young girl in grade eight. She wasnβt in a happy place and it wasnβt that everyone was mean to her, but she just didnβt seem to have a place in the class, so opted to leave the school. It was in grade eight and personally, I was like a fly on the wall as that was high school in Shaunavon.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I had come from a small school in Admiralβ¦ the entire school, Kindie to grade seven had about 22 kids in it my last year there. So, off to the big centre of Shaunavon where Admiral kids and kids from both the Catholic school and the public school came together for high school. I eventually found my way, but I wasnβt in a position to help her.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ There was one other incident when our class was in around grade two or three, there was one little girl that had liquid white out sprayed at her by another girl and the three classes in our room all laughed. The girl that sprayed her got in trouble and the other one had a tough night, but when youβre in a school of 22 kids you end up being friends with everyone.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Bullying always seemed to be dealt with though in some way. The boys who bullied the girl into leaving were given detention and for those of us who didnβt stand up for her like me β because we were terrified of a new school and a class of 35 kids as opposed to the class of five you had come from β well my guilt of not doing anything ate away at me. I felt terrible for not doing anything and I punished myself for it.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I was never really bullied though, so maybe Iβm missing something, but cities are now introducing anti-bullying laws where bullying is defined as any unprovoked, repeated and inappropriate comment or action intended to cause harm, fear or distress. So name-calling, pushing, gossiping, and starting/perpetuating rumours.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ How has our society come to this? Are kids more sensitive to bullying, is it really more common for bullying to take place these days, or is it a mixture of things? Ultimately, from being on the outside looking in, kids no longer have to take responsibility for their actions because itβs always someone elseβs fault.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβm not a parent, so obviously I have no βparenting skillsβ to really talk and maybe Iβm way off the mark, but have I ever been mean to someone? Yes. Did someone easily put me in my place by simply asking how I would have felt if someone treated me like that? Absolutely. It happened and I learned from it, obviously kids make mistakes and can be mean, but I wonder how an anti-bullying law even becomes part of a society? Is it not an issue that should be dealt with by parents, teachers, coaches, and other adults in that kidβs life? Why are we charging anyone 13-years-old and older with a fine between $300 for a first offence and up to $2,500 for subsequent convictions? Is a 14-year-old not allowed to make a mistake?
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Explain to kids about the golden rule, βdo unto others as you would have done unto you,β and enforce it in the school, on the bus, at sporting events, at home. Itβs the rule I follow to this day, yes you lapse every once and awhile with a rude comment, but really being kind isnβt hard. Itβs just being in control of your feelings regardless of who youβre dealing with.
