"I think it's one of those areas where people stand by and want to do something but aren't sure what to do. There isn't an easy answer," explains Kim, a Peterborough parent and board-member for the Kawartha Montessori School.

Evidence of interest in the topic can be found in the number of tickets that have already sold for a workshop on bullying by Barbara Coloroso.

Barbara, an internationally recognized speaker and author, has just published a book on bullying, called, the bully, the bullied and the bystander. She will be presenting in Peterborough on October 3 on the same topic.

As Barbara explains in a summary about her book, "A deadly combo is a bully who gets what he wants from his target, a bullied child who is afraid to tell, bystanders who either watch, participate in the bullying, or look away, and adults who see bullying as teasing, not tormenting, as 'boys will be boys,' not the predatory aggression that it is."

Barbara will be offering her own views on what needs to happen in order to make bullying less prevalent.

Kim says she expects to see parents, teachers, others who work with children and youth, and even young people attending the workshop.

"What's nice about doing it in a community format is that everybody can come together and have more information. And then the issue can be approached more globally," she says.

"From what I've read about bullying, you need to have that community approach. You can't just deal with the bully individually or the person being bullied individually. It really needs to be addressed as a whole dynamic."

Barbara's presentation is part of a Canadian Book Tour she is taking presently.

She will be at the Showplace in Peterborough the evening of October 3, 2002. For more information about tickets, call 742-7469.

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