Debora Kelly
Columns
June 26, 2008 12:13 AM
By: Debora Kelly
Despite the McGuinty government’s good intentions to make our schools safe with its Safe Schools Act, some remain places of harassment, terror and trauma for students who are bullied.
And recent amendments to the act appear to do more to protect bullies, rather than their victims.
Just ask Daniel Sebben, who dropped out of his Newmarket high school rather than face another day of being threatened and called derogatory names. Years of verbal and one physical attack had taken their toll.
He turned on himself, cutting his skin and abusing drugs in a desperate attempt to release the pain bottled up inside since the bullying began in elementary school.
When his family finally learned of the repeated attacks, they turned to the York Region District School Board for help.
“I was the one who was put aside,” Daniel says. “I had to change bus stops and I was the one who had to change my class schedule so I wouldn’t be in the same class as them and I didn’t do anything wrong.”
He was victimized all over again by the very people who are supposed to ensure he is safe at school. On one hand, the board put the onus on him to avoid the bullies, while on the other hand, it urged Daniel to confront them in a “restorative meeting”.
Of course, the traumatized student was terrified at the thought of facing his tormenters — he was pushed and slapped the last time he did that.
Daniel’s mother made repeated and ultimately fruitless pleas for help. The board effectively shrugged its shoulders, which is why she — like other parents before her — turn to our newspaper to draw attention to the injustice.
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne readily admitted to us the legislation doesn’t address the needs of victims.
The act has been flawed since its introduction in 2001, when it caused a dramatic leap in the number of students expelled and suspended and then dropping out. Clearly, that was a legitimate concern.
Following consultation with the public, the province took to heart recommendations for change focusing on prevention, progressive discipline, parent and community involvement and programs for suspended and expelled students in Bill 212.
Bullying became a part of the debate, with youth justice advocates arguing students should not be disciplined for conduct that “does not constitute genuine bullying”.
Justice for Children and Youth stated, “Not all unkind speeches or actions are bullying. Nor do social preferences indicate bullying. We must, and legislation must distinguish between bullying and expression which may be rude, mean, or disrespectful…”
Were Daniel’s tormenters simply being mean? It’s hard to imagine the deliberately harmful behaviour he endured for years being defined as anything but “genuine” bullying. Yet his mother was repeatedly told by officials “our hands are tied”.
The debate about what constitutes bullying seems to have done little to clarify the actions that should be taken by schools, but much to paralyse.
The pendulum has swung too far to the other side, with administrators apparently reluctant not only to take action against bullies, but to even help their victims.
The inaction of a Newmarket Catholic school principal saw local MPP Frank Klees calling on the province last week to force schools to report serious and violent incidents to police.
Not even parents had been made aware their six-year-old son had been assaulted with a belt by two 13-year-old males. Once again, frustrated parents were forced to turn elsewhere. The boy’s parents went to their MPP and York Regional Police, which charged the boys with assault.
“The principal and school board made every attempt to minimize this incident, leaving the parents distraught with a system that appeared more concerned with public perception of the system than the reality of their circumstances,” Mr. Klees says.
Once again, Ms Wynne said her ministry will review the act this fall, this time to determine if reporting mechanisms should be amended.
What’s clear is that our schools need to do more to protect and provide legitimate assistance to victims of bullies. The act needs to ensure that focus.
Until then, we’re better off calling it the Unsafe Schools Act.