A Red Deer woman feels helpless from a BB gun-toting, knife-throwing neighbourhood bully.

Shirley Schmidt is increasingly frustrated over a child who has been bullying her family for more than a year in Highland Green.

The neighbour boy has shot his BB gun at her daughter and pointed it at the woman as well.

He’s climbed on her garage to spit and throw knives at her daughter, and another time tried hitting the girl with a stick he lit on fire.

Schmidt said she was told the police couldn’t press charges under the Youth Criminal Justice Act because he was under 12 at the time. Since he has turned 12, Schmidt said she understands police have hauled him away a few times.

She believes he has been placed in foster care.

“But earlier this week he was sitting outside my house on the sidewalk, so once again the nightmare begins,” said Schmidt.

“I don’t understand the laws in this province . . . do we wait till these children really hurt or even kill a child before something’s done?”

Anti-bullying advocate Steve Harmer advises the woman to seek out numerous avenues until she gets the help she needs.

“You have to remain as calm as possible,” he added.

“You must ask: ‘How can you help me to solve this problem?’ ”

Harmer said this community approach is what is making school anti-bullying programs work.

“You have to get the community, parents, kids and teachers involved,” said Harmer, who did a magical show as part of his anti-bullying message at G.H. Dawe Community School on Thursday.

“The problems come when there is denial — that ‘kids will be kids.’ ”

Harmer said it’s important to note that of out of every 10 children, on average only one child is a bully.

“I teach kids to be a part of that caring majority,” he said. “They have to stand up for the victim and be a part of the solution.”

Retiring Red Deer MP Bob Mills said he’d like to see laws get tougher on young offenders.

“There isn’t any consequences (with the current Youth Criminal Justice Act). The judges are really powerless and so are the police.”

The Conservative government has been reviewing the Youth Criminal Justice Act and would have debated the proposed changes this fall. A federal election has stalled this plan.

One change would see judges considering “deterrence and denunciation” as objectives of youth sentences instead of merely holding the young person accountable through “meaningful consequences and rehabilitative measures.”

“We get quite a number of calls at the (constituency) office about young children harassing seniors,” Mills said. “You have to look after them and the parents, too.”

Red Deer City RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Kathe DeHeer said police try to do what they can to help troubled children.

School resource police officers work with them. RCMP also get other agencies involved, like Child and Family Services.

Commonly, these bullies are having family issues, she said.

“When there is bullying of a violent nature taking place, people should call police,” she added. “We do take these things seriously.”

Contact Laura Tester at ltester@reddeeradvocate.com