That recommendation, in a report to the city's board of police commissioners, is slated to be discussed at a police commission meeting Thursday.

Johnston is specifically recommending that the police commission give its blessings to the creation of an anti-bullying bylaw and pass the matter on to city council, which could then give instructions to the city solicitor to draft a proposed bylaw for consideration.

"Bullying of our youth is a matter of growing concern for many residents in the city of Regina," Johnston noted in his written report.

"The City of Regina does not have an anti-bullying bylaw nor does it address the issue of consensual fights in any of its bylaws," he added.

But local governments in several other jurisdictions (including Saskatoon, North Battleford, Moose Jaw and Edmonton) have developed anti-bullying bylaws, Johnston said.

Johnston's proposal received a strong endorsement Monday from Coun. Bill Hutchinson, who is a member of the police commission.

"We do have a problem in our city," Hutchinson said in a telephone interview. "It's time to take action."

In his report, Johnston said the police commission should ask city council to give police the power to issue a ticket "to participants involved in bullying behaviour and those involved -- directly or indirectly -- with consensual public fights."

There have been incidents in Regina "where large gatherings of students were recording fights and displaying them on websites," Johnston said. The practice of "flaming" -- in which e-mail messages are sent to a bullying victim and to a variety of other people -- is another form of bullying, Johnston said. Name-calling and ostracism are other forms, he said.