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Anti-Bullying & Anti-Violence

Anti-Bullying & Anti-Violence Plans

In 2012, Bill 56/Law 19, “An Act to Prevent and Stop Bullying and Violence in Schools” was passed in Quebec.  As a result, an Anti-Bullying & Anti-Violence Plan (ABAV) must be maintained in every school to prevent all forms of bullying, violence and sexual violence.  The following is a summary of the elements of our ABAV Plans, based on the requirements outlined in Law 19.  Contact your school to obtain a copy of their ABAV Plan.

BULLYING is any repeated direct or indirect behaviour (including use of cyberspace), intended to hurt, oppress, intimidate or ostracize, where there is an imbalance of power between the persons involved.

  • Bullying causes distress
  • Bullying is repetitive in nature
  • Bullying presents a power imbalance

Incidents such as fighting, conflicts, teasing, rudeness, being mean, having a tantrum/meltdown, an accident that causes harm, are NOT considered bullying unless these conditions are met.

  • Violence is intentional verbal, physical, psychological or sexual force;
  • Violence causes distress and/or harm;
  • Violence attacks physical or psychological integrity and/or rights/property.

Measures to Prevent Bullying/Violence 

Measures in place to prevent bullying and violence (including acts motivated by racism, homophobia, targeting of sexual orientation, sexual identity, disability, or a physical characteristic) in NFSB (New Frontiers School Board) schools include: 

  • Analysis of the bullying/violent incident  
  • Clear, reinforced Codes of Conduct (please see school website or student agenda) 
  • Ongoing communications for students, staff, and parents/guardians about recognizing and responding to bullying 
  • School-based activities that encourage social engagement, sense of belonging and inclusivity 
  • Providing the sexuality education curriculum and support from the Personal and Social Development Consultant  

Parent/Guardian Involvement 

The following measures are in place to facilitate collaboration from parents/guardians: 

  • Informing parents/guardians of the school’s Code of Conduct (on website and/or agenda, and/or curriculum night, etc.). 
  • Providing access to the school’s ABAV plan upon request. 
  • Ensuring ongoing communication between the principal and parents/guardians of children who are being bullied, and those who are engaging in bullying behaviours. 

Reporting and Intervention Procedures 

An incident of bullying and/or violence can be reported verbally (in person or by phone) or in writing (by email or by letter addressed to school administration). The procedures for reporting and/or intervening in an incident at school (including extracurricular activities) include, but are not limited to the following: 

Student(s) 

  • should intervene if their well-being is not threatened 
  • should report incident to a staff member, teacher, and/or parent/guardian 
  • can leave an anonymous or signed note with a school staff member. 

 School Staff 

  • must intervene immediately to ensure the safety and security of all parties 
  • must inform the principal 
  • must document the incident 
  • the person in charge of the incident must:
    • Interview student(s) exhibiting bullying behaviour and the victim(s) separately to avoid further victimization of the victim(s) 
    • Reassure the victim(s) that the bullying behaviour will not be tolerated and that all possible steps will be taken to prevent a reoccurrence 
    • Inform parent(s)/guardian(s) of the incident and subsequent intervention 
    • Use intervention strategies that protect the anonymity of persons who report or provide information 

 Parents/Guardians 

  • must inform your child’s teacher, or the school principal, of any act of bullying or violence 

 Principal 

  • must review all bullying and violence complaints and determine the appropriate course of action (see your school’s plan for details) 

Supervisory/Support Measures         

It is the responsibility of school staff to use challenging situations as opportunities to help students improve their social and emotional skills, accept personal responsibility for their learning environment, and understand consequences of poor choices and behaviours. Supervisory and support measures are applied on a case-by-case basis. 

Consequences may be applied alongside remediation measures (which may include reflection on behaviours, learning pro-social skills and making amends to those affected). Examples of measures to supervise and/or support may include: 

 For the Student Who is a Victim 
  • Create a safe environment to allow the victim to explore their feelings about the incident 
  • Develop a plan to ensure the student’s emotional and physical safety at school 
  • Offer support to develop skills for overcoming the negative impact on self-esteem
For the Student who is Bullying or Exhibiting Violent or Sexually Violent Behaviour 
  • Develop an intervention plan with the student (identify ways to solve the problem and change behaviours, including restorative measures, etc.) 
  • Meet with the parent(s)/guardian(s) to develop a recovery plan agreement; ensure understanding of school rules, expectations, and the consequences of bullying or violence on all involved; and, to clearly outline the consequences if the behaviour continues 
  • Support for additional social skills training such as impulse control, anger management 

 For Witnesses 

  • A school staff member may interview witnesses to determine their role (if any) in the incident.  
  • If the incident witnessed is severe, witnesses are met in a group or individually, to debrief the event, discuss their role and to determine more appropriate actions in the future.  

 For Student Bystanders 

  • Review the Student Response Protocol  
  • Determine why they did not intervene or report the incident and how they may safely intervene in the situation 

The school may contact the parent(s)/guardian(s) of bystanders. 

Specific Disciplinary Actions 

Based on the severity and/or frequency of incident(s), at the discretion of the principal, the following disciplinary and/or corrective/ supportive actions may include, but are not limited to: 

  • Notification to parent(s)/guardian(s) 
  • Conference with the student (verbal warning) 
  • Reflection activity or action
  • Recovery plan/restorative measures or practices 
  • Written warning and removal of privilege(s) / service(s) 
  • Restitution 
  • Mediation or conflict resolution 
  • Probation and letter of expectations 
  • Detention 
  • In-school suspension 
  • Out-of-school suspension 
  • Homebound Tutoring (supportive measure that could take place via Teams) 
  • Referral to “alternative to suspension program” if available 
  • Referral to counsellor, external social/medical agencies 
  • Legal action/report to law enforcement, if required 
  • Collaboration with youth protection 
  • Disciplinary hearing at the New Frontiers School Board offices 

Follow-Up on Any Report or Complaint 

The principal ensures that each incident is documented and that all communications, intervention protocols and remedial measures have been completed. The principal will confirm that the bullying/violence has ceased. Parents/guardians dissatisfied with the course of action taken by the principal will be referred to the complaints process of the NFSB. 

NFSB schools ensure confidentiality of all parties. 

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