Tackle Bullying Before It Starts This School Year

School districts are more aware of the dangers of bullying than ever
before.

Cases like Zachery Gray, the Florida teen who suffered brain damage after attempting to commit suicide because of bullying and Rachel Ehmke, the Minnesota teen who committed suicide after months of being bullied, bring an extra awareness to the problem.

With that in mind, local school districts are providing bullying resources to families so children can be prepared if they find themselves being the victim of bullying. Here's a rundown of what's available to help in your district:

Hillsborough County Schools has a district-wide anti-bullying handbook that can be downloaded here. Bullying is to be reported to the principal directly. Consequences for bullying range from positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, according to the handbook. Bullies can also be reported online here on the district's Bully Prevention page.

Pinellas County Schools has a whole week dedicated to no name calling. From June 20-24 is "No Name Calling Week" and students are dedicated to celebrating kindness and refraining from name calling all together.

The Pinellas School Board recently adopted a policy that prohibits bullying and harassment. The district also gives parents and students three ways to report acts of bullying. They can do so directly to the principal, anonymously by calling the Campus Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-873-8477 or online by clicking here.

Pasco County Schools outlines all the ways bullying can occur, including cyber bullying, in their anti-bullying policy, which can be found online. Parents or students should report bullying to the school's principal according to Pasco's policy, but they can also do so by calling Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS. The district also provides an online link to Crime Stoppers to report bullying.

Other Bullying Resources:

Operation Respect - This program includes curriculum for kids in grades 2-8 and provides resources that can help kids deal with the emotional toll bullying can take on them.

StopBullying.Gov - This website by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is full of tips, resources and educational tools to help battle bullying.

National Bullying Prevention Center - This website, sponsored by The Pacer Center,  offers tools and an interactive campaign to help kids cope with and fight against bullying. Lots of free downloadable material are also available on the site.