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Cyberbullying can be defined as, "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices" (Hinduja & Patchin, 5)

Cyberbullying occurs through many platforms and devices, a few examples include, instagram, twitter, facebook and youtube.

Where does it happen?
Cyberbullying is unique in this nature... It can happen anywhere at anytime, all that is needed is a device and access to various applications and websites through the Internet. It can happen in a classroom, at a movie theatre, in the playground, at home and even right before your eyes.

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What are the responsibilities of the teacher when cyberbullying occurs and how can teachers teach their students about the implications of it?

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REPORT, REPORT, REPORT.

The largest responsibility of a teacher is to provide support for their students and to offer a safe, caring, and respectful classroom space to learn and engage.

A teacher has the duty to report any incident of bullying or any suspicions of it to their principal, where in turn they will deal with the allegations, investigate and determine if further actions need to be taken. In some instances the police authorities will be involved. The only circumstances where teachers should not respond is if it "would cause immediate physical harm to themselves, a student or any other person. In these cases staff are expected to report the incident to the principal as soon as it is safe to do so" (A Resource for Board Employees, 2).

Code of Conduct
Every school has a code of conduct and within this legal document are the implications of bullying/cyberbullying and the individual school/school board's policy on the matter. It is the teacher's responsibility to make sure that students fully understand and are aware of this document.

Educating Others
Everyone has an obligation to educate those around them - their peers, colleges, friends or family as well as their students about the responsibilities and duties of any involvement within a bullying or cyberbullying incident. Reports can be made to teachers, principals or even the local authorities.

Know the Signs
Possible symptoms of the vicim:

Withdraw or become isolated from peers, family or friends

Complain of physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or feeling unwell

Become anxious when a new message is received

Exhibit mood swings or changes in behaviour or regular patterns

Become distressed after using the internet, or display emotional anguish

Suddenly shut down a computer screen or mobile phone when someone else draws near

Be reluctant to answer questions about computer or phone use or about what is happening on the internet

Possible symptoms of the perpetrator:

Spend long periods at the computer, especially late at night

Become agitated or angry when computer or mobile phone use is restricted

Suddenly laugh or snicker when using the computer or mobile phone

Suddenly shut down a computer scree nor mobile phone when someone else draws near

Be reluctant to answer questions about computer or phone use or about what is happening on the internet

Restrict Access to Certain Areas of the Internet at School
Below is a photo taken from S. Hinduja and J. Patchin's book, Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard, it can be found on pg. 142.

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What if the Bullying Doesn't Occur on School Property?
Nope! If teachers become aware of any incident that resembles any of the follow scenarios they must report it to their principal where the allegations can be investigated.

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Teaching Students About the Implications of cyberbullying

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Teaching Students About the Implications of cyberbullying

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Cyberbullying or bullying of any kind can be a tough subject to talk about in schools. It may give students anxiety, bring up negative situations and cause negative thoughts. While these are very important things to consider and be mindful of, if we did educate our students and provide them with all the necessary information and resources, there potentially wouldn't be situations in the first place.

Open Discussions
Once a positive classroom environment has been created where students feel safe enough to discuss touchy subjects, the teacher can facilitate discussions that revolve around bullying and cyberbullying. Discussions could include topics such as morals, ethics, how it makes you feel, why people do it, the rights and obligations of those involved (vicim, perpetrator, bystander), etc.

Build a Positive Classroom Environment
There are a lot of factors to be considered when we create a positive classroom environment. There are: physical environment, socio-emotional environment, learning environment, community partnerships, parent engagement and student voice.

The Characteristics of a Positive School Environment

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Building Community with Values
Teachers are often with students more than their parents/gurardian's are during the day and so it is our responsibility to educate students to value the importance of respect, empathy, and building meaningful relationships. If we are able to install these values into our students, it is less likely that so many instances of bullying would arise. When students learn how important it is to care and respect one another, and especially if they have built a relationship with said person, it makes it more difficult to hurt that person.

Cyberbullying and the Law
This is really where the implications come into play. Student's often don't realize the impact of their actions. This is especially true when they think they can get away with it by using various platforms of social media. It is so important to educate our students about what could really result in something they chose to do or take part in. There are serious consequences including suspensions, expulsions and even criminal charges and jail time. There is a book by Judge Tom Jacobs called Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where do your rights end and consequences begin? This book has a series of cyberbullying scenarios that have happened in real life and have made their way to court. It summarizes the scenario, asks you to reflect on what you think should be done and concludes with how the court ruled. It also provides similar cases to the chapter case. I think this is a valuable resource to teach students that their actions do have consequences. If students understand this, they would likely fear the consequences and refrain from participating in acts of bullying.

There is a Bullying Awareness week done in schools across Ontario. I think this is an amazing step by the Ministry of Education; however, a week is not long enough, more needs to be done. In my classroom I would use the book I just mentioned and every week move throughout the book chapter by chapter. This way it is always in the forefront of our students minds and it could be used as a "Big Idea" for the year and other assignments and tasks could be assigned around it. The more important we make this issue visible in classes, the more serious students will view it.

Specific Lessons or Incorporating it into Lessons
Below are links to some lesson plans designed specifically for teaching cyberbullying, provided by mediasmarts.ca

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Cyberbullying and the Law (Grades 7-8) | MediaSmarts

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In this lesson, students learn about and discuss the legal aspects of cyberbullying. They review a variety of hypothetical scenarios and a case study, and they consider the seriousness of the situations, who is legally responsible, what action (if any) should be taken and by whom.

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Cyberbullying and the Law (Grades 9-12) - Lesson | MediaSmarts

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In this lesson, students learn about and discuss the legal aspects of cyberbullying.

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Challenging Hate Online - Lesson | MediaSmarts

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In this lesson students learn how digital media is used to promote or combat hatred and intolerance.

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Provide Resources
It is important to provide students with resources to access. These resources can be for those experiencing bullying, those participating in it, those who want more information, etc. Below are links to helpful resources:

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It's only recently that research has paid attention to the role of witnesses in bullying scenarios, and few studies focus specifically on witnesses. [1] What research has been done has shown that witnesses can be just as important as targets or perpetrators in determining how a bullying scenario plays out [2] and that witnesses may suffer negative effects that are as bad as or worse than those suffered by the target. [3]

In Canada, MediaSmarts' 2014 Young Canadians in a Wired World (YCWW) research on cyberbullying has revealed both good and bad news on this front. The good news is that many youth who witness bullying do something about it: 65 percent of the 5,436 Canadian students in grades 4 to 11 that were surveyed said that they had done something to help someone who was experiencing online meanness.[4] To dig deeper on this topic, in 2015 we conducted a follow-up study of Canadian students in collaboration with PREVNet. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying is one of the first studies to look at the role of witnesses to cyberbullying by asking students the reasons why they choose to intervene, the reasons why they sometimes choose not to intervene, and which ways of intervening they think will be most and least helpful.[5] This research is an important addition to the public conversation about cyberbullying because while our messages to youth about what to do when they're targets of bullying have become much more nuanced, the instructions they get on what to do if they witness bullying remain black-and-white: stand up to defend the target and report the incident to an adult authority. These rules are often accompanied by a heavy dose of shaming, with the implication being that to remain silent is to take the bully's side; some laws and policies have even made it mandatory for students to report bullying if they see it.

There's no question that it's possible for witnesses to do a great deal of harm, whether by directly joining in the bullying, encouraging the perpetrator, or revictimizing the target by sharing a bullying post or video. It's also well-established that when witnesses to bullying stand up and defend the target it can make a tremendous and positive difference. The students we surveyed in our cyberbullying study, however, are not very enthusiastic about interventions that happen in public: only half (51%) feel that it would be helpful to try to mediate between a bully and their target, while only a third (37%) feel that the frequent advice to "stand up" and confront the sender publicly would be helpful. It's not hard to understand why: there may be just as many cases where intervening does greater harm to the target, the witness, or both, and witnesses may have a number of valid reasons for not wanting to report bullying when they see it.[6]

These students were more positively disposed to the idea of intervening by reporting cyberbullying: two-thirds think that reporting it to the service provider (65%) or the police (67%) would be useful, and three-quarters (74%) think it would be helpful to tell a trusted adult about it.[7] Unfortunately, our YCWW research shows that teachers do not generally fall into the category of "trusted adult". This is not because students don't have faith in their good intentions, but because teachers' efforts to help are seen as being ineffective (for example, school rules on cyberbullying have no correlation with whether or not a student will engage in or be a target of online meanness or cruelty[8] and many students believe that zero-tolerance policies will escalate a situation and bring both the target and the witness or witnesses into direct conflict with the bully - something that most of them would like to avoid). The most positively-rated strategy, in fact, ignores the bully entirely in favour of privately comforting the target (77% of students say this would be helpful).[9] This is very similar to findings by the Youth Voice Project in the US on the interventions that youth believe are most effective for offline bullying[10] and reminds us that as much as it's important to take action to stop bullying, it can be just as important - or more so - to make sure that targets have emotional support and to identify and intervene with those students who may be isolated from this support. Studies of offline bulling have shown that private expressions of support can be as, or even more, effective than active interventions in mitigating negative effects of bullying.[11]

Instead of telling youth to report and intervene each time they witness bullying, we can teach them to think of themselves as active participants in the situation, and to consider different approaches for different situations, such as:

Document the bullying and, if it seems that it will do more good than harm, report it

Comfort the target and offer help privately

Mediate between the target and perpetrator

Confront the perpetrator

In considering what advice to give to youth who witness cyberbullying, we might begin by asking why they might choose to report it: there are a number of psychological mechanisms that can deter people from intervening in a situation that they're witnessing, such as the bystander effect, where we are less likely to act if we're part of a crowd. In our cyberbullying study, about a third of the students told us they don't intervene because they feel "nothing can be done about it" (including 39% of those students who have been recently targeted). About half of the students (53%) say they don't intervene simply because "it is not about me". Relationships with targets makes a clear difference: 90 percent of students say they would intervene if someone was cyberbullying a family member compared to 37 percent who say they would defend someone they didn't know personally. However, targets do not have to be much closer than strangers to earn that kind of loyalty: almost twice as many students (61%) say they would be "likely" or "very likely" to defend any of their schoolmates.

Another mechanism that's been identified as making people less likely to intervene is moral disengagement, where we convince ourselves not to intervene on the grounds that what's happening is "just a joke" or "isn't that serious" or that the target "deserved it": just one in ten of the students in our cyberbullying survey say they don't intervene because "I thought they deserved it."[12] This is supported in our YCWW findings, where the two most popular reasons for cyberbullying someone were "s/he did something mean to me" and "s/he did something mean to my friend".[13] This may also explain why students who had been targeted in the four months preceding the cyberbullying study are more than twice as likely as students who haven't been targeted to do nothing because they think the person deserves it.[14]

A form of moral disengagement particular to teenagers is to minimize the bullying by calling it "drama."[15] About half of the students in our survey say that they don't intervene because "I cannot tell if it is drama or bullying" (48% of non-targets, 56% of recent targets).[16] However, this may at times be a sensible view: in cases of reciprocal bullying, intervention by witnesses can prolong the conflict, make it more severe and even lead to other bullying relationships as the friends of those involved line up and intervene on their behalf. One of the young interviewees in Alice Marwick and danah boyd's paper The Drama: Teen Conflict, Gossip and Bullying in Networked Publics gave this example:

There's a girl from West Beverly that got in an argument with a girl from South Beverly and they were at a party. So then when I looked on Facebook the next day there were all of these comments on [there] like "I love you, I don't think you're a- whatever the girl called her."

Marwick and boyd's sources also say that the participation of witnesses feeds drama: "Other teens talked about the involvement of other people 'with no lives' who jumped into arguments 'where they didn't belong.'"[17]

While there is evidence that witnesses to cyberbullying are less emotionally affected than those who witness offline bullying[18], focusing on these psychological mechanisms can obscure the fact that there are a number of quite reasonable fears that might make someone reluctant to report or intervene in a bullying situation:

Fear of being a target. Saying that anyone who witnesses bullying should confront the perpetrator is not unlike suggesting that everyone who sees a mugging should try to stop it. Standing up to defend a target - especially if you turn out to be the only person who stands up - can easily lead to becoming a target yourself, without necessarily having a positive effect on the situation: two-thirds (67%) say they do not intervene because it might make them a target (interestingly, this is no higher among students who recently been targets of bullying).[19]

Fear of loss of social status. Even if intervening or reporting doesn't lead to the witness becoming a target, it can still have long-term effects on a young person's social status, either by being associated with the target (youth who are marginalized for reasons such as poverty,[20] disability,[21] being a member of a visible minority group[22] and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender status[23] are substantially more likely to be targets) or being labeled a "snitch" - both of which may easily be preludes to being a target of bullying. A quarter of the students in our survey who have not recently been targets (26%), and almost half of those who have (45%), say they don't intervene because "adult advice will just increase my isolation."[24]

Fear of making things worse. Both targets of and witnesses to bullying often fear that either standing up to a bully or reporting bullying to a parent or teacher is more likely to make things worse. Imagine if a straight or closeted gay youth is being harassed with homophobic comments and a well-meaning witness tries to defend him by saying "There's nothing wrong with being gay!" Despite their good intentions, the witness will have unwittingly contributed to the bullying. Just over half (53%) of the students in our cyberbullying survey say they don't intervene because "it makes things worse for the target": a number that rises to 59 percent for those who have recently been targets themselves.[25] Another study of offline bullying found that being defended by peers who were unable to successfully protect or comfort the target actually led to more negative effects and a greater future risk of victimization.[26]

What may be as valuable as knowing the reasons why students sometimes don't intervene, is understanding their reasons when they do. And it's important to know - and to make sure that students know - that young people do intervene: almost three-quarters (71%) of the students who had witnessed cyberbullying in the four weeks before our most recent survey say they did something about it.[27] Sameer Hinduja of the Cyberbullying Research Center recommends a system that allows students to report bullying incidents anonymously, in order to minimize the risk of being made a target or labeled a "snitch."[28] Our cyberbullying research supports this idea - four out of five students (81%) say they would be more likely to intervene if they could do it anonymously - but it needs to be handled delicately.[29] To begin with, if it's accompanied by a "zero tolerance" bullying policy that prevents teachers and administrators from using their best judgement in responding to complaints, students will be unlikely to report incidents. As well, it's important to remember that it's difficult to be genuinely anonymous in a small society such as a school. One of the participants in our YCWW focus groups explained how even anonymous reports can have fallout for the target:

I remember back when I was in Grade 7, I was bullied a little and, like after gym class one day, and that same guy got called down to the office, I didn't tell anything, but everybody thought that I snitched on him, so I actually got bullied more because they thought that I snitched.[30]

In our cyberbullying survey, the largest numbers of students say that they would intervene if "I believed what was happening was unfair or morally wrong" (87%) or "it was extremely hurtful behaviour" (86%).[31] This highlights the importance of encouraging students to develop empathy and ethical thinking. Neither of these can be taught directly: instead, students must be nudged towards them, through activities like role-playing moral dilemmas and practicing perspective-taking (for a more in-depth look at how to foster empathy and ethical thinking, see the Ethics and Empathy strand of our Digital Literacy Curriculum as well as our resource package Stay on the Path.) It's important to use both approaches because bullies who act out of anger are more likely to respond to interventions aimed at promoting empathy, while those who bully others to gain social status are much more likely to respond to moral and social norming approaches[32].

Almost as many students (85%) say that they would intervene if "I knew something would be done about it,"[33] which shows the importance for schools having clear and consistent procedures for reporting cyberbullying that let students know ahead of time that some action will be taken.[34] (Research has shown that bullying rates drop when students know that it is against the rules and how to report it.[36]) Unfortunately, only a third of Canadian students even know whether or not their school has a bullying policy.[35]

Finally, just under three-quarters of students (73%) say that they would intervene if "others respected me for doing it." (This is distinct from actually being "rewarded or praised", which only 32% of students say would be a motivating factor.)[37] What we can take away from this is the tremendous importance of culture - youth culture, school culture, and popular media - in determining how youth respond to bullying. If we can build a culture where respect is the norm, we can empower witnesses to take action - and perhaps make the more direct forms of intervention safer (though there will always be situations where indirect interventions are a better idea.) This is why anti-bullying interventions are most effective if they happen not just in a single classroom or even in a single school, but the whole community as well.[38] If we're going to tell witnesses to take an active role in bullying scenarios, we need to make sure that they're getting the same message from school staff, parents and media. We can empower witnesses to act by only changing our culture - in each school and in society at large - so that all people are expected to take responsibility for what they do online.

[1] Levy, Nathaniel et al. Bullying in a Networked Era: A Literature Review. The Kinder & Braver World Project Research Series, September 2012.
[2] Hawkins, D., Pepler, D. & Craig, W. (2001). Naturalistic observations of peer interventions in bullying. Social Development, 10, 512-527.
[3] Rivers et al. Observing bullying at school: The mental health implications of witness status. School Psychology Quarterly, 24 (4): 211.
[4] Steeves, Valerie. (2014) Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats. MediaSmarts: Ottawa.
[5] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Steeves, Valerie. (2014) Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats. MediaSmarts: Ottawa.
[9] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[10] Davis, S., & Nixon, C. (2011). How can peers help? Educational Leadership, 69(1), 18-23.
[11] Davis, Stan and Dr. Charisse L. Nixon. Youth Voice Project: Student Insights into Bullying and Peer Mistreatment. Research Press, 2013.
[12] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[13] Steeves, Valerie. (2014) Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing with Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats. MediaSmarts: Ottawa.
[14] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[15] Marwick, Dr. Alice and Dr. danah boyd. "The Drama! Teen Conflict, Gossip, and Bullying in Networked Publics " A Decade in Internet Time: Symposium on the Dynamics of the Internet and Society, September 2011, September 12, 2011.
[16] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[17] Marwick, Dr. Alice and Dr. danah boyd. "The Drama! Teen Conflict, Gossip, and Bullying in Networked Publics "A Decade in Internet Time: Symposium on the Dynamics of the Internet and Society, September 2011, September 12, 2011.
[18] Sprigg, C.A., S. Farley, and I. Coyne. "Punched from the screen: Workplace cyberbullying." Paper presented at the Economic and Social Research Council Festival of Social Science, Sheffield, UK, 3 November 2012.
[19] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[20] Cross, E.J., R. Piggin, J. Vonkaenal-Platt and T. Douglas. (2012). Virtual Violence II: Progress and Challenges in the Fight against Cyberbullying. London: Beatbullying.
[21] Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A., Ólafsson, K., with members of the EU Kids Online Network (2011) 'EU Kids Online Final Report'.
[22] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[23] Hinduja, S., and Patchin, J. (2011) 'Cyberbullying Research Summary Factsheet: Bullying, Cyberbullying and Sexual Orientation'.
[24] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[25] Ibid.
[26] Hodges, E.V.E., Boivin, M„ Vitaro, F., and Bukowski, W.M. (1999). "The Power of Friendship: Protecting against and Escalating Cycle of Peer Victimization." Developmental Psychology, 35, 94 -101.
[27] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[28] Hinduja, Sameer. "Anonymous Reporting for Bullying and Cyberbullying Incidents." Cyberbullying Research Center, November 29, 2012. <http://cyberbullying.us/blog/anonymous-reporting-for-bullying-and-cyberbullying-incidents.html>
[29] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[30] Steeves, Valerie. Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Talking to Youth and Parents. MediaSmarts, 2012.
[31] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[32] Brady, Nicole. "Empathy Work Lost on One in Five Cyber Bullies." Sydney Morning Herald, August 19 2012.
[33] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[34] Solymon, Catherine. "Zero tolerance policies for bullying don't work: expert", The Montreal Gazette, February 7, 2014.
[35] Steeves, Valerie. (2014). Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Encouraging ethical online behaviour. Ottawa: MediaSmarts. <http://mediasmarts.ca/ycww/cyberbullying-dealing-online-meanness-cruelty-threats >
[36] Tannenbaum, Barbara. "Bullying: How Educators Can Make Schools Safer", Edutopia, September 19, 2010.
[37] Craig et al. Young Canadians' Experiences With Online Bullying. November 16, 2015. <http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/full/young-canadians-electronic-bullying.pdf>
[38] Craig, Wendy. Testimony before the Senate Committee on Human Rights, December 12, 2011.

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It's only recently that research has paid attention to the role of witnesses in bullying scenarios, and few studies focus specifically on witnesses.[1] What research has been done has shown that witnesses can be just as important as targets or perpetrators in determining how a bullying scenario plays out[2] and that witness

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Federal Law

Cyberbullying can be addressed under civil law or criminal law, based on the situation.

Civil law: This is the branch of law that deals with property rights, personal dignity and freedom from injury. Under civil law, there are three approaches to cyberbullying:

A cyberbully may be engaged in defamation. This is when the bully causes harm to someone's reputation by spreading false information about that person. In general, defamation that appears temporarily (as unrecorded speech or in a live broadcast) is called slander, and defamation that appears permanently (in a book or on a Web site) is called libel.

To be libellous a statement must: do harm to someone's reputation, have a clear and obvious target, and be seen by people other than the person making the statement and the target.

In libel cases, the target can lay a suit against the person making the statement. If the suit is successful, the person making the statement will have to pay damages (money) to the target.

A person accused of libel may defend himself or herself by saying that the statement was true, that it was a fair comment (a genuine criticism, not a personal attack), or that he or she innocently reproduced the statement without knowing what it was.

A perpetrator may be creating an unsafe environment by making the target feel that she or he cannot go to school without facing violence, teasing or exclusion. Schools and workplaces are required to provide a safe environment for their students or employees, and must take any appropriate action to do so. A school, therefore, might punish a student for online behaviour that is making it hard for other students to learn in a safe environment. In Ontario, the Safe Schools Act has been changed to specifically include online behaviour: students can now be suspended or expelled for cyberbullying, even if it is done outside the school.

A school or workplace that does not do everything it can to provide a safe environment can be sued by the target(s). Even if a statement is not libellous, spreading it around might still create an unsafe environment.

Finally, a person is responsible for any consequences that he or she might reasonably have guessed would happen. Therefore, a perpetrator who suggests that a depressed student should kill herself would be liable if the student actually did kill herself, as long as the perpetrator had reason to believe it was a likely result.

Criminal law: This branch of law determines which actions are crimes against the state. In criminal law, there are three approaches to cyberbullying:

1. Harassment is a crime under the Criminal Code. Harassment is when something a person says or does makes someone fear for his or her safety, or for the safety of others. Even if the perpetrator did not intend to frighten someone, she or he can be charged with harassment if the target feels threatened. Criminal harassment is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

2. Defamatory libel is a crime under the Criminal Code. It is most often treated as a crime if the libellous statement is directed against a person in authority and could seriously harm his or her reputation. Defamatory libel is punishable by up to five years in prison.

3. Publishing intimate images without consent was added as an offence in 2015. This includes both intentionally spreading an image "in which the person is nude, is exposing his or her genital organs or anal region or her breasts or is engaged in explicit sexual activity" as well as "being reckless as to whether or not that person gave their consent to that conduct.

Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of expression. However, this right is guaranteed "subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society" and, in the case of cyberbullying, must be weighed against Section 7. The latter section guarantees "the right to life, liberty and security of the person." In general, Section 2 of the Charter has not been accepted as a defence in civil or criminal bullying cases.

Provincial and Territorial Laws

Several provinces and territories have laws specifically dealing with online and offline bullying:

Ontario: The Education Act now includes a specific definition of "bullying":

"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.

The following definition of cyberbullying is also given:

(1.2) Without limiting the generality of the definition of "bullying" in subsection (1), bullying includes bullying, known as cyber-bullying, that is done through any form of electronic means using any technique, 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 posted content or messages; and

(c) communicating material to more than one person or posting material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons.

The amended Act also requires schools to provide "instruction on bullying prevention during the school year for every pupil," "remedial programs designed to assist victims of bullying" and "professional development programs that are designed to educate teachers in schools within its jurisdiction about bullying and strategies for dealing with bullying." Each school board is also required to "establish a bullying prevention plan for bullying in schools within the board's jurisdiction."

In 2016 a new civil law tort called "public disclosure of embarrassing private facts" was recognized by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. This was the result of a case where a woman who sued a former romantic partner for sharing without her permission a sexually explicit video she had sent him. The tort is defined as "one who gives publicity to a matter concerning the private life of another is subject to liability to the other for invasion of the other's privacy, if the matter publicized or the act of the publication (a) would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, and (b) is not of legitimate concern to the public."[1]

Quebec: An Act to prevent and stop bullying and violence in schools modifies the Education Act and the Act Respecting Private Education. It defines bullying as "any behaviour, speech, actions or gestures, including cyberbullying, expressed directly or indirectly, in particular through social media, having the aim of injuring, hurting, oppressing or ostracising an individual" (tout comportement, parole, acte ou geste, y compris la cyberintimidation, exprimés directement ou indirectement, notamment par l'intermédiaire de médias sociaux, ayant pour but de léser, blesser, opprimer ou ostraciser)". School boards are required to create anti-bullying plans and all school staff must take part in the plan.

Alberta: The Education Act was revised in 2012 to define bullying as "repeated and hostile or demeaning behaviour by an individual in the school community where the behaviour is intended to cause harm, fear or distress to one or more other individuals in the school community, including psychological harm or harm to an individual's reputation." The Act requires students to "refrain from, report and not tolerate bullying or bullying behaviour directed toward others in the school, whether or not it occurs within the school building, during the school day or by electronic means," while school boards must "establish, implement and maintain a policy respecting the board's obligation under subsection (1)(d) to provide a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that includes the establishment of a code of conduct for students that addresses bullying behaviour." Alberta's law is notable because it requires students to report cyberbullying if they witness it, with penalties including suspension and expulsion possible for those who do not.

Nova Scotia: In 2013 the province legally defined bullying as "behaviour, typically repeated, that is intended to cause or should be known to cause fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress or other harm to another person's body, feelings, self-esteem, reputation or property, and can be direct or indirect, and includes assisting or encouraging the behaviour in any way" and cyberbullying as "bullying by electronic means that occurs through the use of technology, including computers or other electronic devices, social networks, text messaging, instant messaging, websites or e-mail." In 2015 a Nova Scotia judge ruled that the law violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and ordered it immediately struck down. At the time of writing (December 2015) no law has been drafted to replace it.

New Brunswick: Section 1 of the Education Act includes both online and offline bullying in its definition of "serious misconduct." Students are also guaranteed a "positive learning and working environment" free from "bullying, cyberbullying, harassment and other forms of disruptive or non-tolerated behaviour or misconduct, including behaviour or misconduct that occurs outside school hours and off the school grounds to the extent the behaviour or misconduct affects the school environment." Principals are required to develop a positive learning and working environment plan and to report any incident of serious misconduct to the superintendent of the school district. Each school also must have a Parent School Support Committee that advises the principal on how to promote respectful behavior and prevent misconduct, helps to develop policies on how to prevent disrespectful behaviour or misconduct and how to support both those students who have participated in disrespectful behaviour and those who have been affected by it.

Manitoba: In 2013 the province passed a bill that defines bullying in a way that specifically includes cyberbullying and makes parents responsible for their children's cyberbullying if the parent is aware of it, could reasonably predict the effect of it and did nothing to stop it. It also gives judges or justices of the peace the power to issue protection orders that may keep a perpetrator from contacting the target or even using any digital communications. The law also defines a tort of cyberbullying in civil law and allows targets to sue perpetrators or, in certain cases, their parents.

Northwest Territories: The Education Act now includes a definition of "bullying" that includes acts, committed in school and out of school, intended or likely to cause fear or distress or to create a negative learning environment and where there is a real or perceived power difference between the perpetrator and the target. It also provides examples of cyberbullying including impersonating someone online or sharing harmful content online. The Act also requires school divisions to create Safe Schools Plans that address bullying and cyberbullying.

[1] Doe 464533 v N.D., 2016 ONSC 541 (CanLII). https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2016/2016onsc541/2016onsc541.html

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Cyberbullying can be addressed under civil law or criminal law, based on the situation. Civil law: This is the branch of law that deals with property rights, personal dignity and freedom from injury. Under civil law, there are three approaches to cyberbullying: A cyberbully may be engaged in defamation.

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These posters are freely available to print and hang in your schools, in libraries, or community centres.

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While most interactions are positive, increasingly kids are using these communication tools to antagonize and intimidate others. According to a MediaSmarts' 2014 study Young Canadians in a Wired World, more than one in three Canadian students have been the targets of mean or cruel behaviour online, and one in four have been mean or cruel to someone online.[1]

Cyberbullying can be much more severe in its effects than offline bullying because the targets feel they have no escape. Also, given the wide scope of the Web, there can be many more witnesses to the bullying.

School administrators and teachers are struggling to address this issue with students. When real-world bullying occurs in a schoolyard or classroom, teachers are often able to intervene, but online bullying takes place off the radar screen of adults, making it difficult to detect in schools and impossible to monitor off school property.

Despite this, schools are increasingly being expected to address issues relating to cyberbullying. Dr. Shaheen Shariff of McGill University emphasizes that schools have a responsibility "to adapt to a rapidly evolving technological society, address emerging challenges, and guide children to become civic-minded individuals"[2]. According to Shariff, schools must support a preventive approach to cyberbullying that includes developing informed policies and providing pedagogy that is grounded in scholarship in order to grant equal learning opportunities to all students.

To help educators address this issue in their classrooms, MediaSmarts has developed a series of lessons, in English and in French, to give students a better understanding of the ethical and legal implications of cyberbullying and to promote positive Internet use. Intended to support and enhance school-based anti-bullying and empathy-building programs, Cyberbullying: Encouraging ethical online behaviour comprises the following:

Introduction to Cyberbullying: Avatars and Identity Grades 5-6
In this lesson students are provided with opportunities to explore the ways that digital media leave out many of the cues that prompt us to feel empathy and discuss the importance of using empathy and common sense when talking to others online.

Understanding Cyberbullying - Virtual vs. Physical Worlds Grades 7-8
In this lesson students explore the verbal and visual cues that we rely on to understand how other people are feeling. They then consider the differences between online and offline communication and discuss how these differences may make it difficult to understand the effect our words and actions have on others online.

Cyberbullying and the Law Grades 7-8 and Grades 9-12 (two lessons)
In this lesson students learn about and discuss the legal aspects of cyberbullying. They review a variety of hypothetical scenarios and a case study, and they consider the seriousness of the situations, who is legally responsible, what action (if any) should be taken and by whom.

Cyberbullying and Civic Participation Grades 7-8
In this lesson students explore the concepts of rules, values and ethics and learn how they influence our decision-making, and how they can contribute to creating positive online cultures.

Promoting Ethical Online Behaviour Grades 7-9
In this lesson students learn about ways to manage their privacy and reputation online by exploring their digital presence and to make good choices about sharing other people's content online.

Partners

Cyberbullying: Encouraging Ethical Online Behaviour was produced with support from:

Government of Canada

Canadian Teachers' Federation

Dr. Shaheen Shariff, Faculty of Education, McGill University

Red Cross RespectEd Program

[1] Steeves, Valerie. Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Cyberbullying: Dealing With Online Meanness, Cruelty and Threats. MediaSmarts, 2014.
[2] Dr. Shaheen Shariff and Rachel Gouin, Cyberdilemmas: Gendered Hierarchies, Free Expression and Cyber-safety in Schools. Presented at Safety and Security in a Networked World: Balancing Cyber-Rights and Responsibilities, Oxford Internet Institute Conference, Oxford, U.K., 2005.

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Classroom Resources to Counter Cyberbullying - Portal Page

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Lessons on Cyberbullying for Grades 5-12 The Internet has created a whole new world of social communications for young people who are using e-mail, social networking Web sites, instant messaging, chat rooms and text messaging to stay in touch with friends and make new ones.

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A resource for schools to promote positive learning environments. Click to enlarge.

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Cyberbullying's Connection to Critical Digital Literacy (CDL)

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Cyberbullying's Connection to Critical Digital Literacy (CDL)

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Using and Consuming
Cyberbullying is all about using and analyzing tools and texts. Cyberbullying requires the perpetrator to find information that they will eventually use to exploit them. This could include messages, photos, personal moments and thoughts in the form of status' or tweets, etc. The perpetrator then has to apply the information that they found in a way they choose to whatever/wherever their target audience is.

Making Meaning
Participating in cyberbullying requires people to relate information to other information in order to exploit their victims. It has to deal with the perpetrator expressing some negative feeling that they have towards someone else in a digital form to a particular audience.

Decoding
Cyberbully requires quite a bit of decoding whether you are the victim or the perpetrator. In order to utilize online platforms to exploit a victim, it is necessary to know how to use the platform's functions whether that be navigating it, creating a message and outputting it.

Persona
Personal deals with the person side of things. When you choose to participate in cyberbullying or bullying of any kind for that matter it can be harmful to the personal image you are trying to portray to the outside world. Not only can participating be harmful to your reputation, it can also harm your victims reputation. This is really important to think about because in many cases the things that bullies say are not even evidence based. Bullies act out in anger for whatever reason it may be, and say a lot of things that are not true. Persona also ties into educating your students about building a personal identity that they can be proud of. It's important to let students know that once something is online, it's next to impossible to get rid of. Students should post things about themselves that they are proud of, such as their relationships with their friends and family, activities they enjoy doing, any hobbies, etc. In this growing technological world it is so important to build an identity that you are proud of.

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With a faster growing technological world, bullying is becoming easier to do because students have moved to the online world and it's communities. Cyberbullying is much easier to do because students say extremely hurtful things since there is no face-to-face communication. With this increase in cyberbullying it's more important than ever to educate our students about it and the implications of it. It is important for educators to be on the lookout for any of the signs as I mentioned above and any changes/disruptions in normal behaviour. Educators need to be proactive in their duty to support students and encourage a safe and positive school climate.

REMEMBER! REPORT, REPORT, REPORT. Anything you may suspect might be bullying mention it to your principal. These situations have extremely harmful effects to the physical, social and emotional development of a student. It is better to be safe and report it, than be sorry you didn't later.

Do your due diligence, my colleagues, parents and friends.

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"To-Do" list

Are you looking to take action or get more informed about bullying? Below are a few ideas:

Win Prizes for the Classroom

Students with Solutions, sponsored by Planet Fitness' Judgement Free Generation®, is an initiative which invites students to share their creative interpretation of what it means to be intentional with acts of kindness, acceptance and inclusion. All entries are eligible for a chance to win fun prizes for the classroom. The contest is open to all classrooms grades K-12 and will run through December 31, 2019.
Get Started!
Bullying Prevention 101

Planet Fitness' Judgement Free Generation® initiative also sponsors "Bullying Prevention 101," a free educational resource designed to equip teachers, counselors and other educators with tools to empower students to prevent bullying and stand up for kindness. The material is available for elementary, middle, and high school students.
Bullying Prevention 101
"What You Can Do"

This 4-part handout series provides comprehensive information for students and adults about how to help someone who is experiencing bullying, as well as how to address bullying in the community.

We are grateful to everyone who celebrated Unity Day! Your actions make a difference and together, we can help create a world without bullying! Check out some of the amazing photos from celebrations around the world.

Unity Day Photos
View the Facebook Album #UnityDay2019 on Instagram
Include Someone, Make a Difference

A new campaign, created in partnership with Cartoon Network's Stop Bullying: Speak Up initiative, to inspire kids across the country to include someone at lunch, recess, or wherever it's needed most to stop bullying before it starts. Features resources with ideas to include along with an "Include Someone" kit for educators
Get Ideas on How to Include Get the "Include Someone" kit
Resource Kit

Order the "Create a World Without Bullying" resource kit which contains print materials for at least 50 participants.

Kids Against Bullying website

Kids Against Bullying
website

Innovative, educational website for elementary school students to learn, engage in activities, and be inspired to advocate for self and others.

Teens Against Bullying website

Teens Against Bullying
website

A website created by and for middle and high school students, with ideas to address bullying, be heard, and lead change in an important social cause.

Questions Answered

Questions Answered

You asked, we answered! Response options include images, 60-second snapshot, longer articles, video and poll.

Students With Disabilities

Students With Disabilities

A comprehensive overview of addressing and preventing bullying and harassment of students with disabilities.

ALL IN

Free online, year round toolkit with a new classroom lesson each week! Create environments in which each student is INcluded, INvested and INvolved.

I know what it's like to feel low after someone has put you down. Everything has been nearly perfect in my life until this year bullies at school. From this message forward, I'm telling you to not care, and don't buy into the pressure. The bullies that got away, will get karma. Lucklily my bullies play mind games, give me looks, call me names, etc. I'm just telling you that the key is to not care, keep moving forward.

Anonymous, 14, MN

I care because I went through it in Middle and some in Highschool. I care because I saw people stand on the sidelines some laughing some just staying quiet. I care because I want to help others and not let them go through the pain and tourment I went through. I care because no one deservise to go through that. I care because you are worth it. I care because I can gladly say that it will get better. My life has made a turn for the better. Why? Because I did not stand on the side lines and watch someone bully others I stepped in and helped causing a chain reaction for them to get the courage to help somone else. I care because you can make a diffrence. :)

Megan, 21, Richmond Ky

when i was 6 i was always picked on by boys and girls because of how i talked i wouldnt want anyone else to feel the way i did . still to this day im still scared of what people might think of me... and i'm 13 now! so i know what it feels like. this is why i care!

taylor, 13, ga

i know what it feels like to get bullied....people make fun of me about the music i listen too, and what i wear. Getting  bullied puts lots of pressure on you... and bullying caused me to cut myself...so i care .

Autumn, 13, williamstown,kentucky

bullying is wrong no one should be put down for how they look dress or act it is just wrong this is why for my 20% I will be making a video to prevent bullying!!!!!

Emily, 13, California

I'm tired of hearing people talk rudely about and towards others who don't deserve it. <3 I get made fun of sometimes and I know what it feels like.

Emily, 12, UK

at my school I'm hosting my own Unity Day and all the kids will wear orange shirts. Also at my fall festival I'm sell orange candy's and cookies, then donating all the money to this organization.

Jessica , 13, Ketuckey

PACERTalks about Bullying - Season 2

We are thrilled to return for another season with more videos featuring interviews, stories, and informational content. New this season will be the feature "Ask Us" in which we will respond to questions from students around the world.
View the Latest Video

( Word Doc | Pdf)

Become a Champion Against Bullying

Join the hundreds of nonprofits, schools, and community groups that collaborate directly with PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center by using and sharing our bullying prevention resources in their communities.
Submit your organization
Survey Monkey Contributes to NBPC

Sign up and you will receive surveys by e-mail from SurveyMonkey customers who need your opinion. For every survey you take, SurveyMonkey will donate 50 cents to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, plus you'll get a chance to win $100 in an instant win game.
Join Survey Monkey in supporting PACER's NBPC

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PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center

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Are you looking to take action or get more informed about bullying? Below are a few ideas: Students with Solutions, sponsored by Planet Fitness' Judgement Free Generation®, is an initiative which invites students to share their creative interpretation of what it means to be intentional with acts of kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

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Promoting a positive safe climate, a resource for schools

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Reporting and Responding to Incidents. A Resource for Board Employees (PDF, 270 Kb)
A safe and accepting learning environment is essential for student achievement and well-being.

Everyone - staff, students, parents and community members - has a role to play in promoting a positive school climate and making schools safe and accepting.

This resource provides direction on how school board employees must handle student incidents that occur at school, at school-related activities or in any other circumstances where the student's behaviour can have a negative impact on the school climate. Our ongoing efforts to make Ontario's schools safe and accepting for students and staff require:

all school board employees to report to their principal any incident that can lead to suspension or expulsion

principals to contact the parents of students involved in these types of incidents

staff who work directly with students to respond to incidents that have a negative impact on the school climate. These could include racist or sexist comments, vandalism - incidents that are unacceptable in our schools, as well as incidents that can lead to suspension or expulsion.

Responding

Responding to Incidents

All staff who work directly with students must respond to incidents that can have a negative impact on the school climate. This includes principals and vice principals, teachers, educational assistants and other school staff employed by the board, such as those involved in social work, child and youth work, psychology and other related disciplines. In the course of a day, there are many "teachable moments" when issues appear to arise. Prompt intervention with a few moments of coaching and support can help all children and youth develop healthy relationships and prevent small issues from turning into larger ones.

When responding to an incident that involves a student with special education needs, staff are expected to respond in a way that takes into account information in the student's Individual Education Plan.

How will staff respond?

Responding may include:

identifying the behaviour

asking the student to stop the inappropriate behaviour

explaining why it is inappropriate or disrespectful

asking the student to change their behaviour in future.

What behaviour is not allowed?

We can all help make it clear what behaviour is unacceptable and create an environment in our schools where students feel welcome.

Examples of inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour include racist, sexual, sexist or homophobic comments, slurs and jokes or graffiti, as well as those activities and behaviours outlined on page 3 that can lead to suspension or expulsion.

Must staff always respond?

Staff must respond to all incidents, unless doing so would cause immediate physical harm to themselves, a student or any other person. In these cases staff are expected to report the incident to the principal as soon as it is safe to do so.

Supporting All Students

Schools must provide supports for all students who were affected by or have engaged in serious student incidents and all inappropriate behaviour.

For students who have been bullied, who have engaged in bullying and who have witnessed bullying, schools must provide programs, interventions or other supports.

School staff who work directly with students are required to support all students, including those who wish to discuss healthy relationships, gender identity and sexuality. They are expected to provide contact information about professional supports - such as public health units, child and youth workers, mental health workers, help phone lines - or other community agencies that offer the appropriate type of confidential support. This could include, for example, a sexual assault centre, Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) or the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line (1-800-268-9688).

School boards are required to support students who want to form groups at their school to raise awareness and understanding of all students on topics such as anti-racism; people with disabilities; gender equity; sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. These groups may include Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs). School boards and principals cannot prevent students from using the name GSA or another name the students may choose for these groups.

Reporting

What types of incidents must be reported?

The behaviours listed below can lead to suspension or expulsion. They must be reported when they occur at school, at school-related activities or in any other circumstances where the student's behaviour could have an impact on the school climate.

Student behaviours that can lead to suspension include:

uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person

possessing alcohol or illegal drugs

being under the influence of alcohol

swearing at a teacher or at any person in a position of authority

committing an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property at the student's school or to property on school premises

bullying, including cyber-bullying

any other activities identified in school board policy (you can ask the principal what these are).

Student behaviours that can lead to expulsion include:

possessing a weapon, including a firearm

using a weapon to cause or to threaten bodily harm to another person

committing physical assault on another person that causes bodily harm requiring treatment by a medical practitioner

committing sexual assault

trafficking in weapons or in illegal drugs

committing robbery

giving alcohol to a minor

bullying (under certain circumstances)

any activity for which a student can be suspended (see above) that is motivated by bias, prejudice or hate

any other activities identified in school board policy.

Who has to report an incident?

All school board employees are required to report in writing to their principal any incident that must be considered for suspension or expulsion. Board employees include:

principals and vice principals

administrative and custodial staff

teachers and educational assistants

early childhood educators employed by the board

non-teaching staff, such as those involved in social work, child and youth work, psychology* and other related disciplines

staff in before- and/or after-school programs for full-day kindergarten that are operated by school boards

school bus drivers.

* Social workers and psychologists who have a clinical relationship with a student must report incidents which could lead to the student being suspended or expelled to the principal as soon as it is, in their professional opinion, reasonably possible to do so without having a negative impact on their clinical relationship with the student. As well, they must report incidents or behaviours that could result in the student doing physical, emotional or psychological harm to him or herself or to others consistent with their code of ethics and standards of practice.

If a student asks a teacher or other staff member not to tell anyone about an incident, does that board employee still have to report it to the principal?

If it is an incident that could lead to suspension or expulsion and it happened at school, at any school-related event, or in any other circumstances where the student's behaviour has a negative impact on the school climate, then the teacher or any other staff member must report it to the principal. Psychologists and social workers only are given some flexibility as to when to report to the principal, according to the code of ethics and the standards of practice of their respective professions, so they can preserve their clinical relationship with the students. If the incident occurred off school property and not at a school event, and will not have an impact on the school climate, the teacher or other staff can direct the student to a community agency, such as Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, which provides a 24/7 confidential counselling service.

Are teachers required to report incidents that happen off school property?

If a teacher or any other school board employee learns of an incident that will have a negative impact on school climate and could lead to a student being suspended or expelled, it must be reported.

What happens when an incident is reported to the principal?

Any incidents reported to the principal will be investigated.

The principal determines what disciplinary action, if any, is required. Through progressive discipline, the principal will determine appropriate consequences and supports to help students improve their behaviour, while taking into account their individual circumstances. The principal will inform the parents of the student who engaged in the incident. If another student was harmed, his/her parents will also be informed.
The principal will communicate the results of their investigation with the teacher and other school board employee (where it is appropriate) who reported the incident, and will only disclose that information that is necessary to communicate the results of the investigation.

What information is shared with parents of the student who engaged in the incident?

The principal must tell parents or guardians about:

the incident

the nature of the harm to the other student

any disciplinary measures taken in response to the incident

the supports that will be provided for their child in response to the incident.

The principal cannot name or provide any identifying information about the student who was harmed in the incident.

What information is shared with parents of the student who was harmed?

The principal must tell parents or guardians about:

the incident

the harm to their child

what steps were taken to protect their child's safety, including any disciplinary measures taken in response to the incident

the supports that will be provided for their child in response to the incident.

The principal cannot name or provide any other personal information (e.g., referral to counselling), about the student who has engaged in the incident.

In both cases, principals must invite the parents to have a discussion about the supports that will be provided for their child.

Does the principal always call the parents?

There are exceptions. A principal is not permitted to call the parents of either student if:

the student is 18 years old or older or is a 16- or 17-year-old student who has withdrawn from parental control or

the principal believes that telling the parent(s) would put the student at risk of harm from the parent(s). In this situation, the principal must notify the appropriate Superintendent.

What if the incident leads to suspension?

If the incident leads to a suspension, the principal will make an effort to inform the parents of the student who engaged in the incident (unless the student is 18 years old or older), within 24 hours of the incident. Parents also receive written notice telling them the reason for and duration of the suspension and outlining the appeal process. If the suspension is for more than five school days, the principal will provide information about a program to support the student.

Who else must the principal call?

Depending on the incident, police may be called. Principals must follow their local police/ school board protocols when involving police.

When school board employees believe that a student may be in need of protection, they must continue to follow the usual procedure and call the children's aid society as required by the Child and Family Services Act.

What happens if an incident is not reported?

If a principal learns that any member of the school staff has not reported an incident that could lead to a student being suspended or expelled, the matter should be dealt with as a human resource issue, consistent with school board human resources policies and collective agreements.

As well, all staff who hold teaching certificates, including teachers, principals and superintendents, are governed by the Ontario College of Teachers Act (OCTA), and regulations. Regulation 437/97, Professional Misconduct, under the OCTA lists those activities that are considered to be professional misconduct.

Learn More

Contact your school principal.

Visit your school board website.

For information on making Ontario's schools safe and accepting, and bullying prevention, visit ontario.ca/acceptingschools.

Promoting well-being is one of the four key goals in Achieving Excellence; A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario. Learn more at ontario.ca/eduvision.

1. In this document, parent(s) refers to parent(s) and guardian(s).

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Reporting and Responding to Incidents. A Resource for Board Employees (PDF, 270 Kb) A safe and accepting learning environment is essential for student achievement and well-being. Everyone - staff, students, parents and community members - has a role to play in promoting a positive school climate and making schools safe and accepting.

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Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying. Corwin Press.

Jacobs, T. A. (n.d.). Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End andConsequences Begin?

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/cyberbullying-and-law-grades-7-8-lesson

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/cyberbullying-and-law-grades-9-12-lesson

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/challenging-hate-online-lesson

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/cyberbulling/cyberbullying-role-witnesses

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/cyberbulling/cyberbullying-law

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/cyberbulling/cyberbullying-posters

MediaSmarts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/classroom-resources-counter-cyberbullying-portal-page

PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pacer.org/bullying/

Poore, M. (2016). Using social media in the classroom: A best practice guide. SAGE.