Victims and families say new anti-bullying legislation in Ontario is a good first step to addressing the issue.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced changes Wednesday to the Safe Schools Act that allows schools to expel bullies, a change from current rules that only allow for suspensions.
"We're going to require our school boards to take concrete steps, and intervene when necessary," he said on a day where he also released an "It Gets Better" video aimed at gay, bullied youth. "All steps, up to and including expulsion."
McGuinty said the recent suicide of openly gay Ottawa teenager Jamie Hubley had a part to play in the change.
Hubley's father, Ottawa city councillor Allan Hubley, said we also need to be looking at why children are bullying in the first place.
"Maybe we need to be talking to children's aid or have mandatory referrals put in here so children's aid or police get involved," he said.
However, some students aren't waiting for legislation to protect them or take pre-emptive action, instead relying on defence of a different sort.
Haylee Bow said she was confronted last week by another student who threatened to suffocate and stab her; that student has since been suspended.
Her mother said she enrolled her daughter in taekwondo for protection.
"I decided it was time for Haylee to stop being the victim, and she needed to gain more self-confidence and stand up for herself," said Angelle Bow.
Sam Saroughi said more than half the students at his taekwondo academy have been bullied.
"We teach students to be strong and confident when they're walking around," he said.
Angelle said she's sad it had to come to self-defence classes, and she's hoping this legislation will give students more of a safety net.
"Take off the kid gloves and handle this the way it needs to be handled," she said.
When kids are expelled for bullying, they're separated from regular classes and sent to special classes to focus on education and behaviour.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr
