SAFER SCHOOLS! REPORTING TOOL
At NNDSB we take all steps to ensure that our schools are safe, welcoming environments for all learners and provide multi-modal ways of reporting incidents. Learn how we are supporting SAFER SCHOOLS!
SAFER SCHOOLS! Reporting Tool
What is Bullying?
The Ministry of Education defines bullying as "a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another person's body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation."
Bullying is does not need to be physical in order to be hurtful. Physical bullying may be more present during the elementary school years, while more covert forms such as social and cyber-bullying can take precedence during high school. The Ministry of Education provides examples of bullying that include:
- Physical – hitting, shoving, stealing or damaging property
- Verbal – name calling, mocking, or making sexist, racist or homophobic comments
- Social – excluding others from a group or spreading gossip or rumours about them
- Electronic (commonly known as cyberbullying) – spreading rumours and hurtful comments through the use of cellphones, e-mail, text messaging and through social media.
Learn more at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/prevention.html
What is the SAFER SCHOOLS! Reporting Tool?
The Near North District School Board is committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces for all of our students and will work to resolve any issues that create a negative or unsafe environment. The SAFER SCHOOLS! Reporting Tool is just one way for students, parents or community members to reach out regarding a concern for student safety, particularly as it relates to bullying. Concerns related to Safe Schools, including incidents of bullying, can be reported directly to a school teacher, Principal, Vice-Principal, or any other school staff member. If you or somebody else is at immediate risk of harm, reach out to Police by dialling 911.
How does it work?
The information you provide in this form will be received by the school's principal so that it can be further investigated. We encourage you to provide as much information as possible to aid us in the investigative process. If you choose to leave your contact information, you will receive a response from the principal, however, the reporting tool can also be used anonymously should you not wish to be contacted. Prior to completing this form, you must read the Terms and Conditions associated with using the form.
How do I know if it's Bullying?
PREVnet is a Canadian resource designed to assist students, parents, and educators understand bullying and how to foster healthy relationships. PREVnet expands their definition of bullying to include:
Physical Bullying
Includes hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, beating up, stealing or damaging property.
While physical bullying causes harm to a child’s body or property, the below forms of bullying cause psychological harm. Such offensive, degrading and rejecting behaviours undermine and destabilize victimized children’s sense of themselves, of their place in the school, and of their place in the world.
Verbal Bullying
Includes name-calling, mocking, hurtful teasing, insults, slurs, humiliating or threatening someone, racist comments, or sexual harassment.
Social Bullying
Includes rolling your eyes or turning away from someone, excluding others from the group, getting others to ignore or exclude, gossiping or spreading rumours, setting others up to look foolish, and damaging reputations and friendships.
Electronic or Cyberbullying
Includes the use of email, cell phones, text messages, and internet sites to threaten, harass, embarrass, socially exclude, or damage reputations and friendships.
Racial Bullying
Includes treating people badly because of their racial or ethnic background, saying bad things about a cultural background, calling someone racist names or telling racist jokes.
Religious Bullying
Includes treating people badly because of their religious background or beliefs, making negative comments about a religious background or belief, calling someone names or telling jokes based on his of her religious beliefs in an effort to hurt them.
Sexual Bullying
Includes leaving someone out; treating them badly, or making them feel uncomfortable because of their sex; making sexist comments or jokes; touching, pinching or grabbing someone in a sexual way; making crude comments about someone’s sexual behaviour or orientation; or spreading a sexual rumour.
Disability Bullying
Includes leaving someone out or treating them badly because of a disability, making someone feel uncomfortable, or making jokes to hurt someone because of a disability.
Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions for using SAFER SCHOOLS! Reporting Tool
- Students should talk to their parent/guardian or a school staff member about any incident of bullying, harassment or violence by other students. In the case of severe violence or threat of harm, students or their parents should contact the local police immediately for help.
- Completed "SAFER SCHOOLS!" reports will be sent to the principal of the school. Information may be shared with additional people as needed to investigate the incident and/or determine next steps.
- Complete and specific details of any incident are always needed in order for action to be taken by school staff. In order for the school to take action on reported incidents, the principal and vice principal may need to investigate by speaking with witnesses to verify the information provided. This may include speaking with the individual making the report. Where information is verified, action taken will depend on the severity of the incident. A report submitted without enough information or a contact name will be kept on file for a period of time, but no action can be taken.
- All school staff have a responsibility to notify the Children's Aid Society of Nipissing and Parry Sound where child abuse is suspected in relation to students under the age of 16.
- All school staff and outside staff who work directly with students, including Before and After child care workers and bus drivers, have an obligation to report incidents to the principal that directly impact student safety and/or the school climate. As per the Education Act, staff must report incidents outlined in section 306(1) and 310(1) in writing to the principal by the end of the school day.
- The school administrator has the right to search school property, such as lockers and desks, without notice or permission of any person. These searches may be conducted without notice or permission of any member of the school community other than the school principal.
- It is unlawful to make accusations that are untrue. Students making false or aggravating statements will be subject to discipline. Where it is determined that an individual has knowingly made false accusations, or ignored the fact that the allegations could be false, information may also be passed along to police for investigation. The description of the event may be shared with the accused without sharing who made the report.
- Personal information submitted in reports is collected in accordance with the Education Act, and will be used strictly for the purpose of investigating reported incidents and achieving a resolution for concerns raised. If you have questions, please contact the principal of your school.
- Reports will be maintained by the principal of the school. "SAFER SCHOOLS!" reports will not be stored in an Ontario Student Record (OSR).
