Promote peace and stop the violence.



That was the message Monday behind an anti-bullying conference at the Blaisdell.



Nearly 2,000 elementary school children from across the island took part.



Through skits put on by high school students, they learned about the importance of accepting others and respecting everyone.

“It’s really about building peace not in the community, but also in the school campuses so kids get the awareness that we have to stop the violence and stop the bullying” said Deboah Spencer-Chun, president Adult Friends for Youth.

“I’ve watched people get bullied,” said Farrington High School student Darrell Kosam. “I’ve tried to stop it because I.never did like watching people get bullied. My mom taught me that.”

According to the Department of Education, one in every five kids gets bullied at school.

The DOE recently launched an app for middle school students called Speak Now. It can be used to anonymously report bullying incidents on campus.

It’ll be available to high schoolers in September, and then to elementary students next year.

The conference continues on Tuesday for middle school students.