Combating bullying in schools is next to impossible according to critics of the Alberta government’s latest changes to the Education Act.

The Act gives teachers the opportunity to fight bullying in their classrooms head on.

Christine Berry with the Calgary Council Centre says, it’s not just children who bully and this legislation is about stopping this behaviour before someone else is terrorized.

“There are all kinds of issues that can lead to kids bullying and so within those families you may have substance abuse, you may have family violence already occurring,” says Berry. “Because of connections in there, we definitely need to talk to the families.”

She adds the legislation won’t solve the problem but it will bring attention to the issue as a significant part of the bigger picture.