NOVA SCOTIA UNVEILS PLAN TO ADDRESS BULLYING

(Reported in the Chronicle Herald, February 28, 2013) – The long awaited strategy to address bullying has finally been released by Ramona Jennex, Minister of Education. After over a year of consultation and research, the plan is restorative in approach, rather than a strategy based on punishment. Ms. Jennex stated: “This is a plan that’s going to address the root causes of bullying. Therefore, this is going to be a slow, methodical, comprehensive approach.” Relying on the justice system is not effective and what needs to happen is a preventative approach that focuses on peer relationships and the culture of bullying in the school and community. Dr. John LeBlanc, a paediatrician at the IWK Health Centre and a member of the Cyberbullying Task Force, agrees with the province’s approach and states: “That’s why the ‘justice’ approach, finding out who did what, doesn’t work.” “Effective bullying programs deal a lot with peer relationships.” Parents also need to be more involved and social workers are well positioned to offer their expertise in the efforts to improve parent-child relationships, as well as educate and help in understanding the characteristics of bullying. Unfortunately for some families there is not the kind of connection or relationship between parents and their children that will bring bullying out in the open. See the 17 page report: “Speak Up: An Action Plan to Address Bullying and Cyberbullying Behaviour” at:  http://www.ednet.ns.ca/files/reports/R1240223-AntibullyingActionPlan-WEB2.pdf