Halifax Regional Police Bully Hotline

Support & advice to address bullying:

• call or text 902-490-SAVE (7283)
•  email bullyhotline@halifax.ca

The team is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday.

After hours and on weekends, please leave a message and a team member will get back to you the next business day.

Students: You don’t have to leave your name and you don’t need permission to call. If you leave a message (after hours & weekends), we’ll need a number to reach you.

Parents, guardians and teachers: You can call the line for assistance if you have concerns about bullying.

Why call the Bully Hotline?

Call the Bully Hotline when:

• there is a bully in your school or class that causes bad feelings toward you or a friend
• you may be a bully and don’t know who to talk with for help

Tips for youth dealing with a bully

• practice ‘walking tall’ with shoulders back and head held high
• ignore the bully or say “NO” and walk away. Bullies are often seeking attention. If you act like you don’t care, the bully might get bored and give up. The most dangerous thing you can do when confronted by a bully is fight back. Bullies are generally stronger than their victims
• give up your possessions. If the situation is dangerous, if the bully is bigger and stronger than you, or if they have a weapon, then it would be smart to give them what they want. Material things can be replaced. You or an adult should then contact police at 902-490-5020
• stick with a group. Try not to be alone in places where you could be unsafe – an empty schoolyard, a dark alleyway or a school washroom
• always tell a friend or an adult you trust about the bullying. Having someone on your side will help you stand up for yourself
• get help
• check in with your school’s anti-bullying program. Your school likely has an anti-bullying program with tips on dealing with bullies. If not, talk to your teacher or principal about starting one
• talk with your school response officer. They will help you and find more support as needed

Signs that a child or youth is being bullied

You should be concerned if the child or youth:

• is frightened of walking to/from school or is unwilling to go to school
• begs to be driven to school or changes his/her route to school
• begins to do poorly in school
• comes home regularly with belongings destroyed or missing
• has unexplained cuts or bruises, stops eating or begins to have nightmares
• becomes withdrawn, distressed or suicidal

What to do if a child or youth is being bullied

• listen and be supportive – take bullying seriously
• reassure your child that it isn’t their fault
• ask how they’ve been dealing with the bullying
• talk about what actions you can both take to solve the problem
• promise to consult your child before taking any action
• talk to school administrators and ask what they can do to help
• suggest the school contact the bully’s parents
• ask that bullies be kept after school until other children have left
• encourage the school to develop a “no bullying” policy, if they don’t already have one
• contact the school response officer, or call the Halifax Regional Police Bully Hotline at 490-SAVE (7283) for help
• help your child develop a list of trusted adults they can call/text or go to for help
• arrange to meet your child if the bullying is happening on the way to or from school

What to do if your child is a bully

• stay calm
• try to find out why your child is behaving this way
• explain that bullying is wrong and try to get your child to understand what it’s like for the victim
• talk about how your child might stop bullying and show them how to get along with others without bullying
• praise your child when he/she interacts appropriately with others
• set realistic, firm guidelines to help your child control behaviour
• talk with a teacher, guidance counsellor or principal at your child’s school
• model non-violent behaviour at home. If appropriate, consider an anger management program for yourself and your child
• enlist the help of a counsellor or psychologist

Protect youth and children from cyberbullying

There are steps you can take to help protect youth and children from cyberbullying:

• encourage your child to speak up. If someone sends them a text, tweet or email that makes them uncomfortable they should TELL SOMEONE THEY TRUST (family member, teacher, police personnel, friend).
• control your child’s online presence
• increase your child’s security settings online
• encourage them hide or deactivate their profile and/or block users. This can be done through the setting options on social networking sites like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
• save the evidence. As hurtful as it may be, save offending messages, pictures or copies of conversations. This can be used by authorities during investigations
• report serious forms of cyberbullying to teachers, principals, police

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Source : Release / HRP