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Administrative Procedure 350: Bullying Prevention and Intervention

Legal References

Education Act: Section 265 Part XIII Behaviour, Discipline and Safety; Bill 157 Education Amendment Act, 2009 “Keeping Our Kids Safe at School”; The Human Rights Code of Ontario; O. Reg. 181/98 Identification & Placement of Exceptional Students; O. Reg. 472/07: Behaviour, Discipline and Safety; Ontario First Nation, Metis & Inuit Education Policy Framework, 2007; English Language Learners: ESL and ELD Programs and Services, 2007; Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 119 Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools; PPM128 The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct; PPM144 Bully Prevention and Intervention; PPM145 Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour; PPM149 Protocol for Partnerships with External Agencies; PPM161 Supporting Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions in Schools; PPM 166 Keeping Students Safe: Policy Framework for School Board Anti-Sex Trafficking Protocols


Related References


1. Understanding bullying and cyber-bullying

Bullying is behaviour that can be repeated or occur one time and can be carried out by an individual or group of individuals.

Bullying can occur in situations where there are real or perceived power imbalances between individuals or groups, and may be a symptom of racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, religious discrimination, ethnic discrimination or other forms of bias and discrimination. Bullying can also be based on, but not limited to, body size, appearance, abilities, or other real or perceived factors. Perceptions about differences are often based on stereotypes perpetuated in broader society.

Bullying, including cyber-bullying, may be intentional or unintentional, direct or indirect. It can take many forms including physical (for example, pushing, tripping), verbal (for example, name calling, insults, threats, sexist/racist/transphobic comments), social, also known as relational (for example, spreading rumours, intentionally excluding others, humiliating others with public gestures) and causing harm to one’s property.

Taking action against bullying behaviour requires school staff to consider the root cause(s) and identify the most effective interventions.

Bullying has the potential to:
  • negatively affect students’ learning, attendance, safety/sense of safety, sense of self-worth and overall mental health and well-being
  • create a negative environment at school or school-related activities for an individual, group or the whole school
 
Proactive intervention coupled with coaching and support can help all students develop the skills and understanding needed to build and maintain positive relationships.
Bullying impedes the development of a positive school climate.

A whole-school approach involving all education and community members is required to prevent bullying.

Cyber-bullying
Cyber-bullying is the act of engaging in bullying behaviors through electronic means such as social media platforms, email, text or direct messaging, digital gaming and/or communication applications.

Examples of cyber-bullying may include:
  • sending or sharing hateful, insulting, offensive, and/or intimidating electronic communication or images via text messages, emails, direct messages
  • revealing information considered to be personal, private, and sensitive without consent
  • making and/or engaging, and/or participating in fake accounts on social networking sites to impersonate, humiliate and/or exclude others
  • excluding or disrupting access to, a student on purpose from online chat groups, access to accounts and during digital gaming sessions

Increasing the use of digital platforms enhances the threat of cyber-bullying as well as other safety risks.

Bullying, including cyber-bullying, may intersect with other forms of sexual exploitation including, but not limited to, sextortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Traffickers and other sexual predators are increasingly using fake accounts to pose as acquaintances or friends of children and youth to lure, groom and recruit them into engaging in sexual acts or services. Children and youth who experience bullying are at increased risk for being sex trafficked.

2. Policy Statement
  • Bullying adversely affects a student’s well-being and ability to learn.
  • Bullying adversely affects the school climate, including healthy relationships.
  • Bullying will not be accepted on school property, at school-related activities, on school buses, or in any other circumstances (e.g., online) where engaging in bullying will have a negative impact on the school climate.

3. Definitions

3.1 Bullying
In Section 1(1) of the Education Act RSO 1990 bullying means aggressive and typically repeated behaviour by a pupil where,

a) The behaviour is intended by the pupil to have the effect of, or the pupil ought to know that the behaviour would be likely to have the effect of,

i. Causing harm, fear or distress to another individual, including physical, psychological, social or academic harm, harm to the individual's reputation or harm to the individual's property, or
ii. Creating a negative environment at a school for another individual, and

b) The behaviour occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance between the pupil and the individual based on factors such as size, strength, age, intelligence, peer group power, economic status, social status, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, family circumstances, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, disability or the receipt of special education; ("intimidation")

c) (1.0.0.1) For the purposes of the definition of “bullying” in subsection (1), bullying includes the use of any physical, verbal, electronic, written or other means.

3.2 Cyber-bullying

(1.1.1.2) For the purposes of the definition of “bullying” in subsection (1), bullying includes bullying by electronic means (commonly known as cyber-bullying), including,

a) Creating a web page or a blog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person;
b) Impersonating another person as the author of content or messages posted on the internet; and
c) Communicating material electronically to more than one individual or posting material on a website that may be accessed by one or more individuals.

4. Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan
  • The board’s Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan is found in Appendix A
  • The board’s Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan will be posted on the board’s website and on school websites
  • The board plan will be reviewed every two years in consultation with the Parent Involvement Committee, the Special Education Advisory Committee, Indigenous Education Advisory Committee, AMDSB Office of Human Rights and Equity, the Student Senators, community partners, and school staff.

5. Responsibilities:

5.1. Director and Superintendents must:

5.1.1 provide opportunities for all members of the school community to increase their knowledge and understanding of such issues as racism, bias, stereotyping, discrimination, prejudice, and hate; bullying; violence; inappropriate sexual behaviour; critical media literacy; and safe Internet use.

5.1.2 provide a culturally relevant and accessible communication and outreach strategy taking into account linguistic, ethnocultural and accessibility considerations to help ensure parents have access to the board bullying prevention and intervention plan

5.1.3 conduct voluntary, anonymous school climate surveys of students, staff, and parents at least once every two years, including questions on bullying/harassment related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as questions on sexual harassment.

5.1.4 establish ongoing processes to meaningfully engage parents so that they feel heard and are valued partners in their children’s education

5.1.5 assess how well parents understand their roles and responsibilities with respect to policies and practices related to bullying prevention, including cyber-bullying prevention and adjust practices as necessary to address any barriers that might prevent parents from understanding their roles and responsibilities.

5.1.6 provide and communicate a comprehensive strategy to address incidents of bullying, including appropriate and timely responses

5.1.7 formalize relationships (AP 120 External Collaboration Protocol) with community partners to facilitate the delivery of prevention, intervention, and response programs, the use of referral processes, and the provision of services and support for students and their parents and families

5.1.8 establish and provide annual professional development programs to educate teachers and other school staff about the prevention of inappropriate behaviour and strategies for promoting a positive school climate

5.1.9 provide curriculum-linked culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy training strategies on bullying prevention and intervention to provide administrators, teachers, and other school staff the resources and support they need to disrupt, and dismantle systemic barriers and to address all forms of bullying

5.1.10 provide resources to other adults who have significant contact with students (for example, school bus operators/drivers, volunteers), and recognize the need to support training for new teachers.

5.1.11 establish and provide professional development programs that include teaching strategies that support the school-wide bullying prevention policies including developing skills for healthy relationships by including bullying prevention strategies and highlighting equity and inclusive education principles in daily classroom instruction and school activities.

5.1.12 require that opportunities be made available for students and staff to learn to recognize the various forms of bullying (such as, racial bullying, or bullying based on religion) and understand the actions that can be taken by those witnessing the behavior

5.1.13 require that opportunities be made available for students and staff to participate in equity and inclusivity education, bullying prevention, and leadership initiatives.

5.1.14 require that programs, interventions, and other supports be made available for students who have been bullied, witnessed incidents of bullying, or engaged in bullying

5.1.15 monitor, review, and evaluate the effectiveness of board progressive discipline procedures, using indicators established in consultation with teachers, other school staff, students, parents, school councils, their Special Education Advisory Committee, their Indigenous Education Advisory Council, the AMDSB Office of Human Rights and Equity, and community-based service providers.

5.1.16 develop or enhance existing strategies and processes to track and monitor all instances of reported bullying, including cyber bullying, to guide and inform school and board strategic planning

5.1.17 collect and analyze data on the nature of violent incidents to support the development of board policies and to inform board and school improvement plans.

5.2 Principals must:

5.2.1 implement the ADMSB Bullying Prevention and Intervention plan in their schools, and post this plan to the school’s website

5.2.2 ensure that for students with special education needs, interventions, supports and consequences are consistent with the child’s strengths and needs, as well as with the program goals and learning expectations documented in their Individual Education Plan (IEP).

5.2.3 develop a Safe and Accepting School Team responsible for fostering a safe, inclusive and accepting school climate that must be chaired by a staff member and include the principal, at least one parent, teacher, non-teaching staff member or community partner. It should also include at least one student.

5.2.4 respond to any report of bullying or cyber bullying behaviour, or behaviour that is likely to have a negative impact on the school climate.

5.2.5 investigate all reports submitted by board employees and third-party contractors (e.g. bus drivers, before and after school care providers) and communicate the results (not more than is reasonably necessary) of the investigation to the person who made the report.

5.2.6 follow the requirements for reporting and responding to serious incidents as outlined in AP 352 Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour, including the use and filing of the Safe Schools Incident Reporting form.

5.2.7 follow the direction provided in AP 350 Police/School Board Protocol with respect to incidents that require police notification and response.

5.2.8 Principals must investigate in JK to Gr. 3 for incidents of bullying if:

i. their continuing presences in the school creates an unacceptable risk to the safety of another person
ii. the bullying is motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other similar factor (for example, social-economic status, appearance)
iii. The principal may only suspend a student in JK-Gr. 3 under section 310 of the Education Act for engaging in bullying if they have conducted an investigation respecting the allegations and in consultation with their school superintendent.

5.2.9. Principals must investigate and may suspend a student between grades 4 to 12 for bullying and, after an investigation, consider referring that student for expulsion if:

i. the student has previously been suspended for bullying; and the student’s continuing presence in the school creates an unacceptable risk to the safety of another person
ii. the bullying is motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other similar factor (for example, social-economic status, appearance)

5.2.10. for race based and hate incidents, reference AP 378 Reporting and Responding to Racist and Hate-based Incidents Involving or Impacting Students of the AMDSB

5.2.11. review and respond to reports that are received through the school Incident Reporting Tool

5.3. Teachers and other Staff in schools and or classrooms must:

5.3.1. immediately address incidences of bullying and/or cyberbullying that may have a negative impact on the school climate. When board employees are aware that an incident involves a student with special education needs, they are expected to respond in a way that takes into account information in the student’s Individual Education Plan.

5.3.2. when board employees are aware that an incident that involves a student who black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+ and/or a member of another equity-deserving community, they are expected to respond in a way that takes into account their over representation in disciplinary programs and/or alternative education programs

5.3.3. responding may include asking a student to stop the bullying and/or cyberbullying; naming the type of behaviour as bullying and explaining why it is inappropriate and/or harmful; and asking the student to correct the behaviour (e.g., restorative approaches, if appropriate etc.)

5.3.4. report serious student incidents to the principal so that appropriate actions to address the incident and protect the student may be taken. Use of the Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form is required.
 
5.3.5. participate in professional development programs about the prevention of inappropriate behaviour and strategies for promoting a positive school climate

5.3.6. access the resources and support they need to disrupt and dismantle systemic barriers and to address all forms of bullying.

5.3.7. use teaching strategies that support the school-wide bullying prevention policies including developing skills for healthy relationships by including bullying prevention strategies and highlighting equity and inclusive education principles in daily classroom instruction and school activities

5.3.8. recognize the various forms of bullying (such as, racial bullying, or bullying based on religion) and understand the actions that can be taken by those witnessing the behaviour

5.3.9. participate in equity and inclusivity education, bullying prevention, and leadership initiatives.
 
Please refer to pdf attached for Appendix A - AMDSB Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan

New June 2022