KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Schools throughout Florida have been trying to find new ways to crack down on bullying.
Officials at Sunrise Elementary School said they've made great strides in their anti-bullying program called Positive Actions Lift (PAL).
Students said they have seen a big difference since the program was initiated.
The program has only been in place for a year at Sunrise Elementary in Kissimmee, but the staff and students said they have proof that it's working.
Raw: Elementary students march against bullying
The students spent the morning celebrating their success, holding up anti-bullying signs and parading from their classrooms through the halls and outside on the campus.
Every month, one student from each class is recognized for being kind and helpful to other students.
"It's actually really good that we're doing this because there are so many bullies here in fifth-grade, and it's just, like, hard some kids are being, like, discouraged and some of them are having fights and things. So, we should keep going on with this bullying program so that we can keep this going," said student Adriana Rivera.
The numbers from the Stop Bullying Now Foundation show why efforts like this are so important for schools across the country.
Sixty-percent of middle school students said they've been bullied, and 160,000 students stay home from school every day because of bullying.
Thirty-percent of students who reported they'd been bullied said they've brought weapons to school.
A Polk County mother has been pushing for a specific anti-bullying legislation in Florida since her daughter committed suicide.
The goal is to change attitudes while the students are still young.
"It's been really good. It's been teaching other kids to respect others," Hernandez said.
More than 450 children were recognized in the PAL program this school year at Sunrise Elementary.
WFTV
