Hale Middle School In Los Angeles Creates 'Stand Tall Day' Against Bullies

California's largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, is making a statement it simply won't tolerate bullying as a mere rite of passage. They see it as serious stuff.

Students at Hale Middle School participated in "Stand Tall Day," a program to combat bullying, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hale is one of the first schools in the district to devote an entire day to the topic, and officials are hoping it might be used as a model.

The Tuesday workshops included anti-bullying presentations, discussions and self-defense sessions. Kids were even encouraged to tell on their peers for picking on others. Hale Principal Neal Siegel said one of the goals was to convey the severity of bullying.

"We're trying to be clear in our expectations and are not big on excuses like 'Kids will be kids,'" Siegel said. "If you're making someone unhappy, you're bullying."

The efforts at Hale are part of a larger nationwide effort against bullying. The issue has gained traction with more and more reports of students taking drastic measures due to the emotional toll bullying can have.

Last fall, the Department of Education issued guidelines regarding how schools should respond to intolerance and even said schools could lose funding for ignoring bullying of gay and other students, Bloomberg reported.