U.S. students rap against bullying in school

"I have been bullied several times at school," said an anonymous student from the Toronto District School Board. "I have had some support from teachers and other students but the bullies were never dealt with or punished by the school."

This student is part of the slim minority of 46 per cent of Ontario students who say they've been bullied in school, according to the Ontario Student Survey, a project of the Ontario Student Trustees' Association.

"It was honestly a bit of a disturbing number ... especially with so many new initiatives," said Leaside student Zane Schwartz, the student lead on the Ontario Student Survey project. "A lot of students/victims feel issues were not properly dealt with."

The most likely place to be bullied in the province is in the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic District School Board, where 59 per cent of students say they've been bullied. The least likely place is the York Region Board just north of Toronto, with only 36 per cent.

While numerous celebrities have taken to YouTube to speak out against bullying in the "It gets better" campaign, an elementary school in North Carolina is finding a new way to reach students.

All 350 memorized a rap song called "We Don't Do Bullying At Our School" and gathered in a hallway to perform it. Watch some of the rap.

"Listen up, hear what I'm puttin' down. Doesn't matter if you're black, white, red or brown. If you wanta be smart then you gotta know the rules. We don't do bullyin' at our school," are some of the lyrics.

"All the kids, they listen to rap," said music teacher Monica Martin in a WBTV article. "If they have to sing — they don't want to do it. But if they can rap it, that was much cooler."

Martin along with guidance counselor Cindy Kiser came up with the song.

Schwartz, who says the rap is a great example of how to teach about bullying, wants students to also do their part.

"A big part is for students to notice it," said Schwartz, who has seen bullying at his school in Toronto. He wants more students to stand up for their friends if they're being bullied and if students see a friend bullying someone else to tell him or her that it is not okay.

Trustees in Ontario are also presenting the results to school boards in the upcoming weeks.

"We know nationwide bullying has been in the news lately," said Kiser in a WBTV article. "I think by being proactive [with the rap], maybe we're helping to prevent bullying."

(CP Photo)