Parents' Corner
- General School Information
- Student Learning
- Commit to Character
- Code of Conduct
- Child Safety
- Parent Involvement
- Technology Use Guidelines
- Health & Wellness
- Protocols & Procedures
- Student Personal Information
- Safe & Healthy Schools
- Kindergarten
- Parent Resources
- Commit to Character
- School Councils
- Parent Involvement Committee
- Attendance Counsellors
- Secondary School Course Selection
- Parent eBulletin
- Circle of Learning Conference
Bullying
What Is Bullying?
Bullying is a serious problem for the young people who are bullied, for those who bully, for those who are bystanders and for everyone in the communities in which they live. Bullying behaviour negatively affects all children and is a significant obstacle to their healthy social, emotional, physical and educational growth and development.
Bullying among young people is understood as repeated negative actions committed by one or more youth against another.
The actions may be of a physical, verbal, emotional or sexual nature or may span a multitude of behaviours. These include teasing, name calling, taunting, threatening, exclusion, ostracism, extortion, harassment, manipulating friendships and physical violence. Implicit is the imbalance in real or perceived power between bully and victim. In addition, while boys typically engage in direct bullying methods, girls who bully are more apt to utilize these more subtle indirect strategies, such as spreading rumors and enforcing social isolation.
Whether bullying is direct or indirect, the key component of bullying is that the physical or psychological intimidation occurs repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.
Bullying is learned and reinforced throughout society - in the community, in the social group, at home, in school - wherever youth are active. According to the research of Dr. Debra Peplar and Dr. Wendy Craig from the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution, "Children who bully others have learned that aggressive behaviour is an efficient means of gaining status, power and control."
Bringing School Home - Parent eBulletin issue on Bullying (PDF)
Bullying - We can all help stop it - A Guide for Parents of Elementary and Secondary Students (PDF)
See also Safe and Healthy Schools.