bullying? BE SMART, DON'T START
By: Ayeh
how is the government helping?
Following the increased occurrence of bullying in schools among Canadian youths aged 11 to 16, and high-profile suicides of young persons due to bullying, several jurisdictions in Canada are in the process of enacting anti-bullying laws. The aim of the laws is to make educational institutions safer by bringing awareness of the issue and consequences of bullying, and promoting tolerance in all public schools.
Effective September 1, 2012, Ontario became the third province in Canada to implement anti-bullying legislation. After intense debate in the Ontario legislature and discussion among the public, the Accepting Schools Act, 2012 was passed on June 5, 2012 and received Royal Assent on June 19, 2012. These most recent amendments to the Education Act will shape how principals, supervisory officers, and teachers identify,prevent, investigate and respond to bullying behaviour in Ontario schools.