Anti-Bullying Measures in Place in Canton Public Schools

Bullying in schools is an "epidemic," and Canton parents, teachers, administrators and are prepared to fight the issue with education, prevention and awareness.

"This is a deadly situation that I don't want to hit Canton," Peter Boucher, the K-12 director of wellness said. Boucher addressed the crowd of about 100 parents who gathered at Tuesday night to hear a presentation entitled "Working Together to Keep Canton Safe."

Boucher, who witnessed the deadly impact bullying can have on children in his former school district, said he wants to stamp out bullying in Canton not just in the classrooms or school cafeterias, but in after-school programs, Saturday sports events and wherever children are.

With suicide statistics on the rise, including several well-known tragedies that occurred as a result of bullying, it's time to share information, raise awareness and provide skills and resources to "every person that comes in contact with kids in Canton," the wellness director told the crowd.

Under the state's new bullying prevention law, the district's Anti-Bullying Task Force was created in the spring of 2010 and has been working on the district-wide action plan. The task force has already updated all the student handbooks to include the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy in age-appropriate terms and is developing an internet safety plan, prevention resources for special education, adding in professional development for staff and working on anti-bullying education for students.

Boucher went on to describe what is and what is not bullying with the audience, and discussed the "Five C's in Canton," which he referred to as curriculum, culture, climate, communication and confrontation. Teachers are now trained to confront a bullying situation immediately, within nine seconds, he said.

Meredith Carey, the interim assistant principal at the , talked about statistics of bullying. Bullying begins in Kindergarten and cyber-bullying begins in the second and third grades, she said.

"It is our job to establish for the child….that they can feel like there is help and that they are supported," Carey said of the administration's commitment to keeping kids safe in school.

Now with all the new technology, including texting, instant messaging, emailing, Facebook and MySpace, bullying is happening "24 hours a day, seven days a week," she said.

Carey said the schools are working with parents, students and the Canton Police Department to make sure students are safe in school and outside of school.

Juvenile Detective Chip Yeaton said in his seven years in the schools, he has seen a dramatic rise in bullying. "I see it and I hear it every single day at the schools," Yeaton said.

Due to the abundance and accessibility of technology, he said it is important for parents to be much more involved with what their children are doing with that technology. Students of younger ages have the access to computers and cell phones. "Don't be fooled that it can't happen in this town," Yeaton said. "It happens all the time."

The detective also warned parents about gaming, and urged them to listen to who their children are talking to on their headsets and ear buds while playing games online. "The amount of bullying that goes on (while gaming) you'd be amazed," he said.

Communication is key with children, and knowing who they are speaking to online, what they are using their devices for and finding out what is going on at school is important for all parents and guardians, Yeaton said.

"We're here because we care about your children," he stated.

For more information, read the Anti-bullying plan online at: www.cantonma.org/bullymodelplanacdc.pdf