Safe School Study and Toolkit

Bullying, sexual harassment and racial discrimination are major public health problems in Canada. In a study conducted by the Canadian Public Health Association, students, parents, teachers and principals completed surveys reflecting on their perceptions of safety and hot spots for bullying, sexual harassment and racial discrimination in the school and community. This research was sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Strategy.

CPHA’s Safe School Study indicates that on a monthly basis:

• Forty-one percent of students reported being involved in social bullying as either victims or bullies.

• Thirty-two percent of students reported being involved in physical bullying as either victims or bullies.

• Eighteen percent reported they had called other students racist names.

• Sixteen percent reported unwanted touching, grabbing or pinching in a sexual way.

• Thirteen percent reported being victims of electronic bullying and/or electronic bullying others.

• Ten percent reported being victimized by homophobic harassment.

Intervening in schools alone is not enough to make a significant dent in peer relationship problems. Schools are nested in broader communities and students belong to families and peer groups. It is therefore essential to engage parents/guardians, peers and community resources in meaningful ways in anti-bullying, harassment and discrimination programs.

In response to this research, the Canadian Public Health Association is working in partnership with the Canadian Initiative for the Prevention of Bullying to identify criteria for quality programs and developed a set of tools to assess the form and frequency of bullying and harassment in schools.

The Assessment Toolkit for Bullying, Harassment and Peer Relations at School identifies the core elements of best practices. It itemizes the foundations for standards of teacher instruction and parent training. CPHA’s toolkit describes a gender-responsive approach, criteria for culturally relevant interventions and how to create a positive school environment. These standards of intervention, supplemented with information on parent, teacher and student training in peer relationships and interventions, are the determinants for effective programs and outcomes.

CPHA’s toolkit includes tips for students, parents, teachers and administrators in the form of a handout and checklist that can be posted on the fridge at home or the chalkboard at school.

Anti-bullying and harassment programs that are nested within a positive school environment have better outcomes. A whole school community approach founded upon collaboration between students, teachers, parents and community is needed to end peer violence in relationships.

To order or download these FREE resources available through the Canadian Public Health Association.   

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Safety Canada, October 2004

School Bullies