`Bullies: Fighting Back` - Schools Step Up Efforts to Stop Bullying | Video

Jody Kerzman | 2/11/2011

But telling an adult you`re being bullied can be tough. In fact, only about a third of victims report what`s happening. Yet, more than a third of teens say they have been bullied at school.

So, schools are stepping up their efforts to stop bullying, both in school and out of school.

Students at Simle Middle School begin each day in home base

On this day, students are spending a few minutes of home base talking about bullies.

"Talking about bully issues. Focus lessons on bullying and cyber bullying, and talking about what`s acceptable at our school and what isn`t," said Simle Middle School counselor Wayne Jundt. "We want them to understand what it means to be a student in our school."

They do these lessons twice a week. While it seems like common sense, counselors say it`s something kids need to be reminded of.

Jundt said: "We have to teach these things. We have to remind them that this works, and this is not acceptable in our school."

Across town, at Wachter Middle School, there`s another anti-bullying effort happening. "Students can text a tip," said Wachter Middle School Assistant Principal Beth Jeide.

The school has set up a "text a tip line." Students are asked to put the text a tip number in their cell phones on the first day of school, so if they ever need it, they`ll have the number.

"I think this is just another way of trying to be proactive with the bullying issue," added Jeide.

And while Wachter does have a no cell phone policy, administrators say students who use their phones during school hours to text a tip are not punished. Because often the best information they get about bullying, comes in via text.

It`s just one way they`re addressing what has become one of the biggest problems facing schools today.

Jeide said, "Bullying is a big issue at Wachter and I wouldn`t be honest if I said it wasn`t an issue."

But it`s an issue administrators at schools across the city, and even the state and country, have committed time and resources to stop one text at a time.

The "text a tip" line has been a success, partly because stepping in and telling a bully to stop isn`t easy.

Students who text a tip can remain anonymous. This is especially helpful because while most kids say they`ve witnessed bullying, the majority say they haven`t intervened for a number of reasons.

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