With cyber-bullying being the new form of attack against students in schools across the nation, causing fights, school shootings, and suicides; Knoxville students are taking initiatives in order to prevent deaths among their peers.

Counties and school boards across America tend to wait until there has been a school shooting or suicide due to bullying, in order to raise awareness to the issue of bullying; but not Knoxville school students.

The Knoxville Police Department has posted numerous billboards that raise awareness to the issue of bullying, catching the attention of junior-level students at Hardin Valley Academy.

Earlier this year, Hardin Valley students worked side-by-side with Knoxville police in order to create nine videos that take a stand against bullying.

Madalyn Neal, a junior at Hardin Valley says that, “We found that people had started programs after people had committed suicide and we kind of wanted to be a preventative measure here so that nothing like that would happen at Hardin Valley and to go on further and not happen in Knox County, as well.”

Other junior-level students at Hardin Valley say that their videos should address all kinds of bullying that they know take place locally and nation-wide; hoping that their videos can help end bullying and possibly save a life.

It is not easy to be the new student in school, so if you and your family are moving to Knoxville, check out Hardin Valley Academy and join the school’s efforts to end bullying.