Pubdate: Fri, 02 Dec 2005
Source: Peace Arch News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Peace Arch News
Contact:  http://www.peacearchnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1333
Author: Sheila Reynolds
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

TEENS EMBRACING SITE TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER

A website intended to help make Surrey schools safer has resulted in 
dozens of tips from teens and kids - most of whom have become fast 
fans of the anonymous online resource.

"This site rocks," wrote one student.

"What I mean is it shows reality ... what's going on with Surrey and 
with other schools. I really like the way you made me feel that I 
have some place to go if something's not going right at school and 
I'm not comfortable talking to the principal.

"I know now I will make more right choices."

Another youth comments: "Bullying has to stop - it's destroying 
people's lives. I think this website's really going to help," while a 
Grade 12 student says it's "really cool that you're showing other 
kids and other students that people actually care about how us teens feel."

The feedback comes just six months after the PSST... Protecting 
Surrey Schools Together website (www.psst-bc.ca) - developed in 
partnership with the district and RCMP - was piloted.

In addition to movie reviews, articles, contests, and quizzes, the 
site contains a link labelled 'Report It' where students can leave 
details about a problem or incident, the school involved, and when it 
happened or is expected to occur. During the pilot from April to 
June, 48 tips were submitted via the website, 46 of them legitimate. 
Stats from September and October are skewed because of the illegal 
teachers' strike and because the site was initially billed as a 
three-month pilot. Still, in those months, at least a dozen tips were received.

Those that fall under the criminal code (ie. involving drugs, 
vandalism) are passed to police, while others are dealt with at the 
school level by the principal.

A handful of the tips, safe school manager Theresa Campbell said, 
have led to convictions. In fact, the first one led to three men who 
had a significant quantity of drugs at a location near a school.

"I was amazed how quickly students started using the site, especially 
in reporting dangerous or illegal activity," Campbell said. The site 
has become a venue for students to seek support for themselves.

"Some have been asking for information about sensitive topics," 
Campbell said, "and we're able to get the appropriate professional to 
help them out."

Mostly, she said the online resource has encouraged students to get 
involved and be accountable for the safety of their school.

To promote the website, trailers about PSST... will be shown in 
Surrey movie theatres and ads will be posted at bus shelters.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman