A majority of Canadians think bullying should be considered a crime, according to a new poll.
An Angus Reid online survey of 1,006 Canadian adults found that two-thirds of respondents believe bullying should be punishable by law, even if no physical violence is involved.
One in five, or 19 per cent, said bullying should be labelled a crime only if someone is physically hurt. Only six per cent of respondents didn't think it was necessary to criminalize bullying, and 10 per cent said they weren't sure how they felt.
The poll was released on National Pink Shirt Day, a campaign that encouraged students across Canada to wear something pink on Wednesday and take a stand against bullying.
Bullying is not an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada, but certain behaviours associated with it -- such as harassment and uttering threats -- are.
The Angus Reid poll found overwhelming support for legislation specifically targeting cyber-bullying. Ninety per cent of those surveyed said it should be illegal to use electronic means to "coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress."
A proposed federal law in the United States is aiming to do just that.
"We were a bit surprised by the high level of support for cyber-bullying laws," Mario Canseco, vice-president of Angus Reid Public Opinion, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Wednesday. "It's very hard to get 90 per cent of Canadians to agree on anything."
Most of the survey participants said bullying is a serious problem in Canada's elementary, middle and high schools. The majority felt that bullying gets more intense and dangerous as students get older.
More than half said that bullying continues later in life, both at work and at home.
Support for anti-bullying legislation was especially high in Quebec, as well as among women and people over the age of 55, the poll found.
"There is a little bit of hesitance over this from a legislative point, but I think this survey shows Canadians are ready to accept (bullying) as a serious crime," Canseco said.
Ontario's Liberal government has proposed legislation that would require school officials to report serious bullying incidents and allow them to suspend or expel students who harass their classmates. The Accepting Schools Act would also introduce new bullying prevention and intervention policies.
Similar legislation was tabled in Quebec, where the government is also seeking to appoint anti-bullying guardians in schools.
