It’s an obvious school focus and a buzz word among many River Region school leaders, but for any “anti-bullying” efforts to succeed, the real work has to be done by the students.

Administrators can set policy, teachers can reinforce school district mantra and parents can pick up the charge at home, but nothing goes beyond the starting blocks if students aren’t actively on board with the project.

For anti-bullying projects to work, elementary schools must stress a zero-tolerance policy to students at a young age and empower all to recognize what bullying is and report it the second it manifests itself.

Getting to the youth early and keeping the culture alive and active through junior high and high school are musts.

Special thanks goes to Norco Elementary School leaders who are fostering such an effort on their campus.

The school’s Bullyfree Friends program is kicking off its second year of activity with a student-driven approach.

Fifth grader Peyton Jones told L’OBSERVATEUR last week he joined the club because he wanted to help students who are being bullied.

“If I saw someone being bullied, I would tell that bully to stop,” he said.

“If they said no, I would run and tell an adult.”

That natural reaction is a must if we are to cultivate a student environment that protects its own instead of polarizing those that don’t naturally fit in with the crowd.

The Bullyfree Friends have already set out buddy benches for students to sit on when they are in need of someone to talk with. Plans for older students to read to and mentor younger students are also taking shape. Buddy patrols are being discussed.

The program’s success now rests in the hands of the students, those who can truly make a difference.

We hope the program works and becomes a symbol of success for the region’s other schools to follow.