Anti-Bullying
Heroes’ Memorial Elementary School
Anti-Bullying Policy and Action Plan
Anti-Bullying Policy and Action Plan
Our Commitment to Take Action against Bullying
At Heroes’ Memorial, we believe that children have a right to the highest standard of education in a safe and caring environment. Bullying in all its forms will not be tolerated. If acts of bullying take place, these incidents must be reported. Our school encourages all students, staff and parents to report bullying incidents.
What is Bullying?
“Bullying” means any repeated direct or indirect behaviour, comment, act or gesture, whether deliberate or not, including cyberspace, which occurs in a context where there is a power of imbalance between the persons concerned and which causes distress and injures, hurts, oppresses, intimidates or ostracizes.
Physical: Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, punching, stealing or damaging property.
Verbal: Name-calling, defiance, threats.
Emotional: Exclusion from the group or isolated socially, gossip or rumour mongering, mockery, and the like.
Racial discrimination: To make racist comments, to write slurs, graffiti.
Sexual: To make sexist comments, abusive comments, to provide unwanted physical contact, to utter denigrating comments.
Cyberbullying: To send/hurtful messages, insults, rumours, to post fights or incidents.
Bullying is not…
• A conflict between two students
• Teasing that is meant to be playful
• A misunderstanding
• An involuntary act
The objectives of our Policy Against Bullying
• All staff, students and parents are aware of our policy against bullying.
• Bullying will not be tolerated and will be dealt with as efficiently as possible.
• The procedures to report bullying are clear, known, understood, and applied.
• The policy supports Bill 56, Heroes’ Guidelines and Expectations, Student Code of Conduct, and our MESA document.
Procedures and Consequences
• All bullying incidents must be reported.
• All incidents will be recorded unless minor and resolved.
• For serious situations parents will be informed.
• If deemed necessary, the police will be contacted.
• Students caught bullying will present an apology, additional measures may also apply.
• Suspension or expulsions may also be considered.
Signs and Symptoms
• A student can be afraid of walking to and from school or not want to come to school
• A student’s academic results can be affected
• A student can isolate himself
• A student may go home with damaged clothing
• A student can be in distress; stop eating; and cry more easily
• A student may become more bothersome or aggressive
• A student may want to run away
• A student may have lack of confidence or low self esteem
• A student may appeared tired, may have sleeping issues, or may be having nightmares
Means put in Place to apply our Policy
• Formation of Student Safety/Behavior Committee
• Development of a bullying action plan.
• Staff meetings to raise awareness of the bullying action plan.
• Student assembly on bullying.
• Bullying survey students 4 to 7 (Tell Them from Me Survey).
• Discussions in class throughout the year related to bullying and our policy. Use of programs like “Don’t Laugh at Me,” “There’s Gum in My Hair,” and the Wild, Wild Web.”
• Continuation of various violence and bullying prevention activities (i.e. Power of One), and social skills activities already in place at school.
• Incident reports are completed and sent home.
• An anti-bullying binder has been put in place to record all bullying incidents. Binder will be kept in the Principal’s office and information kept confidential.
Tools, Documents and References
• Partnership with the CSSS, SQ and other community organizations to promote positive student behaviors
• Heroes’ student Code of Conduct
• Heroes’ Memorial Action Plan
• Government of Quebec web site http://irightthewrong.com