Policy 2.1.7 VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Approved: March 20, 2001

Revised: June 2, 2026

1.0 Rational

A school is a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning environment;

Students, their families, school staff, volunteers and the community have a right to expect that schools will be safe and free of violence;

Students must learn how to handle conflict and anger in non-violent ways in order to become responsible citizens.

The Provincial standards of behaviour apply not only to students, but also to all individuals involved in the publicly funded school system- parents or guardians, volunteers, teachers and other staff members – whether they are on school property, on school buses or at school-authorized events or activities. Actions off school property, before or after school, that impact the moral tone of the school and/or climate of school safety will be addressed.

2.0 Definitions

Assault: A person commits an assault when, without the consent of an individual, they apply force intentionally to that person, directly or indirectly; or when they attempt or threaten, by act or gesture, to apply force to that person, if they have, or cause the person to believe on reasonable grounds that they have, present ability to effect their purpose.

Bullying: aggressive and typically repeated behaviour by a pupil where:

a. he 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:

1. 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
2. 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.

c. For the purposes of this definition, behaviour includes the use of any physical, verbal, electronic, written or other means.

Harassment: words, conduct or action that is directed at an individual and serves no legitimate purpose and which may include remarks, jokes, threats, name-calling, the display of material(s), touching or other behaviour that an individual knows or ought to know insults, intimidates, offends, demeans, annoys, alarms, or causes that individual emotional distress and may constitute discrimination when related to grounds protected by the Human Rights Code.

Intimidation: Wrongfully and without lawful authority compelling another person to do anything they have a lawful right to abstain from doing or preventing them from doing anything that they have a lawful right to do. Forms of intimidation include, but are not limited to: threats, stalking, hiding the person’s property or hindering them from using it, or hazing.

School Community: the staff, pupils and parents of the school and its feeder schools / family of schools, as well as the community of people and businesses that are served by or located in the greater neighbourhood of the school.

Stalking: repeatedly following, communicating with, besetting or watching the dwelling place where a person or anyone known to them resides, works, carries on business or happens to be, without lawful authority to engage in such conduct and where the person doing the stalking knows that they are harassing the person, causing the person to fear for their safety or the safety of a person known to them.

Violent Incidents/Behaviour: verbal or written threats, bullying, verbal or physical aggression/assault, harassment in any form, or criminal activity by an individual or group of individuals which has the effect of impairing or might have the effect of impairing the health and welfare of any student or employee.

Weapon: any object or thing used to threaten or inflict harm on another person which includes, but is not limited to, knives, guns, replica guns, and animals.

3.0 Policy

District School Board Ontario North promotes a safe and orderly learning environment for its students, their families, school staff, volunteers and community through the implementation of effective measures to deal with violence in the schools. These measures include the establishment of preventative procedures, the provision of appropriate early intervention procedures, and the administration of disciplinary action in accordance with the Education Act, Board Policy, the Ontario Schools Code of conduct, the Criminal Code and other appropriate legislation.

References

Appendices