Santa Barbara Joins Nationwide Anti-Bullying Event

Dozens of people gathered at San Marcos High School Thursday night to show support for a national call to action against bullying.

Statistics show 160,000 kids and teens skip school daily for fear of attacks or intimidation by other students. Experts have found a strong link between bullying and suicide.

Mayor Helene Schneider, along with the Santa Barbara Youth Council and superintendent Dr. David Cash, joined 200 mayors across the country in the unprecedented local and national event.

The Santa Barbara project included a string of anti-bullying events throughout the month of October, and culminated with a screening of the movie “Bully” Thursday night at the high school auditorium.

The highly acclaimed film spawned a national movement to fight bullying at school and communities across the country and profiles families and friends impacted by bullying victims who’ve lost their lives to suicide.

Prior to the screening, awards were handed out to local students for a bullying contest. After the movie, the audience joined in with comments and pledges.