Michael Lenters, Branden Farr and Jade Eisener of St. Pauls' Cathololic School in Lakefield listened to Deputy Chief Ken Jackman talk about the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police's anti-bullying campaign.

"It's about not being mean to anyone," says Michael Lenters.

"It's about helping people if they're hurt," says Branden Farr. "And you should tell someone," he adds.

"If you do get hurt," chimes in Jade Eisener, "you tell the teacher or your parents."

Peterborough Lakefield Community Police took their anti-bullying message to Lakefield schools Friday, urging students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 to stamp out bullying behaviours, or to report it if witnessed. Deputy Chief Ken Jackman and Constable Sherry Jank were first at Ridpath Public School earlier in the morning, before they made their way to St. Paul's.

Students at St. Paul's gather around Constable Sherry Jank of the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police during a recent presentation on anti-bullying.

"Bullying is when a person repeatedly hurts someone else," Constable Jank told the assembled St. Paul's students in the gymnasium. "It could be physical, emotional or verbal, but someone is trying to be stronger, faster, better. But they don't have the right to hurt another person," she said.

She told the students bullying can take the form of name calling, laughing to hurt someone's feelings, hurting someone, leaving someone out -- "that's called exclusion" -- or making someone feel scared, she said.

"And the best way to prevent bullying is to not let it begin," she said.

Deputy Chief Jackman told the students they had a "beautiful, bright school."

"We want all schools to be a fun and safe place to be, and that's why we're here today," he said.

The deputy chief then had students recite an anti-bullying pledge after him, which was also on an overhead projector. In the page-long pledge students promised not to engage in bullying, and to tell a teacher or parent whenever they witness it.

After Deputy Chief Jackman's brief talk, students gathered in groups to sign the anti-bullying pledge on the back gymnasium wall while the deputy chief and constable mingled with students.

Constable Jank told the students she knew the school was very capable of rising to the occasion of stopping bullying behaviours "before they even begin."

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