Today most schools have become "Bully Free Zones", at least in the politically correct sense. Despite this heighten awareness, Bullying still thrives in these environments much like it did 8 years ago when studies suggested that over the course of a year most children would in some way participate in Bullying and much like it did 20 or 30 years ago - it has just taken on new forms and the dynamic has shifted. Today it is often dished out in a psyocolgical sense and often females have taken the lead, not to mention the growing concern that cyber bullying has become.

A quick history

StopBully.com began in 2001. It began as a one time publication in the form of an 80 page book aimed at educating parents and children alike of the consequences of Bullying and how to effectively deal with the issue when one becomes directly involved. This book was originally released and distributed by the KIDS INTERNATIONAL DISCOVERING SAFETY FOUNDATION and the book was supported by this web site. Very quickly it was recognized that there was a need for a program beyond a book and StopBully.com became its own entity.

In 2002 instructors for schools were added to the StopBully.com mix and demand went through the roof for the program as it offered something that went beyond other school "Bully Programs" being offered at the time; programs offered by "experts" and "consultants" in the field which were beginning to inidate schools. StopBully.com began to offer a program that was present all year round and went beyond the scope of the school. At this time many "programs" constisted of a puppet play or a discussion/workshop format for the kids - that was often readily enaged in but just as often forgotten when the kids were dismissed. StopBully.com offered the "crime stoppers" of Bullying by providing free tools that would made the kids accountable all year long with its online reporting system. Further the program was free to schools for use unlike most other offerings out there that often commanded price tags of hundreds or even a thousand dollars for a one off session.

As the program evolved further more focus was put on community awareness as Bullying has always been a social issue not a "school" issue - a view point that many schools have appreciated and embraced.

StopBully.com has always been privately funded through the generous support of business and other community leaders in the areas that we have operated. The down side to this was less funding became available in the economic upturn that western Canada began to see in 2005. It wasn't that our community and business leaders became less generous - rather they became harder to access as a result of a scarcity of human resources. Moreover, finding good fund raisers and volunteers became increasingly difficult compared to the first 2-3 of operation. This resulted in a scaling back in the scope of the program which stared with the discontinuation of instructors being offered to schools in 2005. In 2005 the program refocused its mandate on community awareness very similar in keeping its cause front and center in the communities in which it operates much like MADD or SADD does.

The program's current objectives beyond awareness include relaunching the "Tell a Trusted Adult Program" later in the year and in certain communities testing "live" online help for those parents who need advice on this issue soon and for the children directly involved whether they are a "Bully", a "Target" or a "ByStander".