Bullies beware

[pritchke]

Harassment bylaw slated for spring

By ANDREA SANDS, CITY HALL BUREAU, EDMONTON

A draft bullying bylaw - the first of its kind in Canada - could be in place this spring.

But even if the bylaw is on the books, cops don't expect to write many tickets.

School resource officer, Const. Dan Williams, told the city's community services committee yesterday police would use the proposed rules only as a last resort.

"We're hoping that we don't have to see any (fines). We want to tell the kids that it's illegal and we will enforce it if we have to," Williams said.

"The kids know now that if they haven't assaulted anybody or they haven't made any threats to cause death or bodily harm, then the police can't do anything."

Under the proposed bylaw, anyone who repeatedly makes a minor "feel harassed" in a public place would be subject to a $250 fine.

The community services committee decided yesterday to recommend the bylaw be approved by city council.

The chairman of the City of Edmonton Youth Council applauded the bylaw and told the committee she was bullied through elementary and high school.

"I actually chose to go to a different high school than everybody else so that I would leave the bullying," said Amanda Van Haaften, now a commerce student at Grant MacEwan College.

But children's advocate Guy L'Heureux, who also made a presentation to the committee, said outside yesterday's meeting he fears the bylaw could be a way "around the Young Offenders Act," under which children younger than 12 cannot be charged.

The draft bylaw refers to minors as anyone younger than 18, but doesn't set an age limit at the bottom end, L'Heureux noted.

"Does it go all the way down to kindergarten? Is it kindergarten cops time?" L'Heureux asked.

"Are children under 12 going to be subject to this kind of a bylaw? How far does it go?"

The bylaw is a "simplistic" approach to the issue, he said.

City lawyer Steve Phipps told the committee that council does not have the authority to impose community service work as the penalty for a bullying offence.

But Phipps noted anyone convicted of a bylaw offence has that option through the court system.

The bylaw would also allow bystanders who encourage bullying to face penalties, Phipps added.

"They become parties to the offence, and they are equally liable for the bylaw offence if their act of participation can be proven," he said.

City council will examine the draft bylaw on Tuesday. If it is approved, it is expected to come into effect May 1.
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I think this is a pretty neat by law and if it works in this city it may actually become more and more common thoughout N. America. Personally I am am a little tired of hearing about bullys in school playgrounds picking on certain kids until they eventually snap. Often nothing is done, there parents don't seem any better hopefully this is a first step to getting bullies to stop.

[The Hunter of Jahanna]

I think that this law is a train wreck in the makeing. You can not force people to be nice to one another!! Little kids argue and fight and dont like each other, just like adults.It is part of growing up. Laws like this are just contributeing to the nanny culture of todays society. If this thing passes we will have kids running to the cops because they dont get to be prom queen or because someone laughs if they trip and drop their books. IMHO this law will encourage kids to be even bigger friggin cry babys than a lot of them already are. What are they going to do when they get out of school and there isnt a law requireing people to be nice to them?? What will happen the first time some one picks on them? Will they break down and cry the first time they are hit with a little sarcasm? How will they react when they get a boss or a room mate who teases them nonstop??

[pritchke]

Possibly, but I think it will go a long way in preventing instances like teens getting beating to death by a group of thugs who have been bulling for years, a reduction in young people killing themselves, or others when they snap.

It is possible that the police could abuse it by handing out tickets left right and center, but I think it will be used as last resort only giving to the worst of bullies when they don't listen to warnings of police and continue to tormet certain people.

I have never understood kids tormenting of others, if they don't like them why not just leave them alone. I have stood up in defense of a few smaller people in my time when bullies demaded they give them something or else. They usually back down to peers although adults can do very little and not everyone as a decent protector of right and wrong nearby at all times. If it is one bully tormenting many thay usually can team up on that bully but many victims are alone because they are just not accepted by their peers for being different and they have no defense.

[RevRuby]

i do like this law, in some ways. something that happened to me in my sophmore year coul;d have been very messy. in an arguement witha girl (freshman) she threatened to bring a gun to school and shoot me. but she told her classes counselor that i did the threatening before i told anyone about it. the messy part would be we both had friends witnessing the arguement. and it has come to my attention that "mutual" friends forget the way things happened. so what would have happened there? two fines, just to make sure you go the right one? i dunno how the courts are up there, but i am happy that in the u.s. one can fight their ticket if they think it is worng. otherwise, this could be very messy

[Sir Goulum]

As an Edmontonian, I must say, usually the ones in fights are the more...annoying ones. I would, frankly, be happy to see some people get caught in my school for fighting! But, I do have doubts about it.