Mount Saint Agnes Academy is to 'bully-proof' its premises in a crackdown on harassment among students.

A team from 'Dare to Care' in Canada have been drafted in to deliver a programme warning youngsters of the dangers of bullying and substance abuse.

The focus will be not only be on the perpetrators and victims, but will involve their peers, school staff, parents and the wider community.

Premier Ewart Brown last week announced a raft of Government measures to crack down on a rise in anti-social behaviour among teenagers. They include intervention by teachers in cases of "troubled students", plus facilities for more "psychological and psychiatric care" in schools. Stricter standards in uniform and appearance have also been proposed.

The "roadmap" for tackling youth violence follows the drive-by shooting of Prince Barrington Edness, 22, on August 18 and the stabbing death of Kellon Hill, 18, on August 9.

Now at least one school is also ready to 'get tough' on anti-social behaviour and violence. A Mount Saint Agnes spokesman said yesterday: "In light of recent events that have been happening in our community over the summer, Mount Saint Agnes Academy will be commencing its school year with a programme that will focus on enhancing our relationships with each other and our community."

Lisa Dixon-Wells and Dwayne Peace from 'Dare to Care' in Alberta are to run the scheme, creating "a common language which allows for more consistent intervention and follow-through when dealing with challenging issues".

The 'Life Skills and Bully-Proofing Your School' programme aims to: reduce anti-social behaviour; improve order and discipline; encourage honest communication; and mobilise a caring community.

Mount Saint Agnes Principal Sue Moench said drug use was not prevalent at the school but that staff wanted to take a more proactive approach to prevent it from becoming a problem.

She told The Royal Gazette: "We haven't had problems with drugs but what we want to do is address these issues so we don't have problems."

On bullying, she said: "Schools are microcosms of the community so there are always issues, particularly with kids where it's a control and power issue.

"What we are trying to do is avoid the problem.

" We are trying to be proactive and start our year off with respect and relationship issues."

Commenting on the death of 18-year-old Kellon Hill, Mrs. Moench said: "As a Bermudian it really saddens me to see these kinds of things happening on our island. If there is something we can do, I believe change is going to happen by changing our values and one of the ways we can do that is through education.

"If we are really going to change our community, we need to do that through our schools, and I think we can make a big difference by creating respect among each other."

Students from Grades Two-Five, Six-Eight and Nine-12 will engage in the programmes on their first two days back at school. A group of pupils will also form a 'Change Team' - tasked with ensuring youngsters keep to the principles of the scheme throughout the school year.

Mr. Peace, a retired police officer, said younger children would be taught strategies in how to deal with bullies while the teenagers would gain increased awareness of eating disorders and body image, bullying, suicide, and the impact of media and violent video games.

"We allow the students to see that we are all the same inside and we all have to have more compassion, understanding and respect for each other," said Mr. Peace. "In many cases that is not happening in schools.

"We create a safe environment for students to get to know each other at a better level and to have that compassion and respect."

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