News from the S&CS CoPThis is a featured page

This page lists upcoming and recent events relating to crime, violence, delinquency, bullying and other issues that relate to safe & caring schools. Please post your new items at the top of the page.

News and Announcements about Safe & Caring Schools


  • Helping Canadian Kids Thrive! Conference on Positive Youth Development
    May 7th & 8th, 2009 at     Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario
    Early Bird Deadline - February 1, 2009     Many recent national conferences have focused on what’s wrong with our kids - bullying, violence, ‘at risk’ and the list goes on and on. We’re taking this opportunity to focus on what’s working and share our stories with others who know that focusing on strengths can be far more productive than trying to ‘fix’ what’s wrong. When young people possess the necessary skills and competencies for life they are less likely to get involved with the negative influences and risk taking behaviour.



  • How schools can build student resiliency through Developmental Assets & Positive Behaviour Support
Participants in this webinar will learn how to build resiliency in students through a school culture of support. This model has been implemented successfully in both elementary and secondary schools. The presenter is a certified trainer who is using this model within his own school and district.
Presenter: Don MacIntyre, Principal, Princess Margaret Secondary, Penticton, B.C.
Completed and available online. Contact dbenson@cash-aces.ca to access this.

  • Beyond Suspension: Changing student behaviour through an alternative to Drug and Alcohol suspensions
The evidence is clear that “punishment” often entrenches student behaviour and doesn’t change it. Programs which provide support with consequences have a much increased success rate at producing positive change. Participants in this webinar will learn about success rates occurring through the “Directed Suspension Program” of School District #73, Thompson-Kamloops through the use of an “off-site” program which includes community service-work and brief interventions/brief-assessments. A theoretical underpinning of a “model of change” is the basis of this program and will be reviewed as a part of the presentation. Presenter: Angela Lawrence, District Behaviour Consultant, Child & Youth Counsellor S.D. # 73 Date: Tuesday, Nov. 25th, 11:00-12:00 PT Completed and available online. Contact dbenson@cash-aces.ca to access.



  • Rethinking Drug Education
With the growing evidence that social and emotional competence contributes to both better academic performance and positive health behaviours, this webinar presenter will speak from his background of current research on the relative ineffectiveness of most existing drug education models, and offer a suggestion for moving forward.

Participants in this workshop will increase their understanding of evidence-informed approaches to alcohol and other drug education in schools as well as increase their faith in the utility of addressing alcohol and other drug education through schools. A constructivist education program promoting mental health literacy and social and emotional competence is currently being piloted in 8 B.C. school districts and early information on this program will be shared.
Presenter: Dan Reist, Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria
Date: Thursday, Nov. 27, 11:00-12:00 noon PT Completed and available online. Contact dbenson@cash-aces.ca to access.


  • How challenging the increasing power of media violence on students makes schools safer and healthier!
Violence in the media is pervasive. The destructive influence of violent music videos, video games, music lyrics, the Internet and television programs is absorbed daily by our children and youth and is linked to safety in schools and in our communities. Participants of this webinar will learn about promising Practices to Protect children and will have a close-up look at a Québec-based initiative that has proven results. Presenter: Jacques Brodeur, Consultant, Violence Prevention, Media Education and Peace Education, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec Date: Tuesday, Dec. 9th 11:00 -12:00 PT Completed and available online. Contact dbenson@cash-aces.ca to access.



Other News:

  • December 11, 2008: A new report about school safety will help guide and strengthen requirements for staff to report serious incidents. View full text at: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/nr/08.12/nr1211.html . This report about school safety will help guide and strengthen requirements for staff to report serious incidents. New legislation to be introduced this spring will, if passed, make reporting serious incidents, including assaults, to the principal mandatory. This follows the release of the new Safe Schools Action Team report, Shaping a Culture of Respect in Our Schools: Promoting Safe and Healthy Relationships. The report also calls for action to address serious issues like gender-based violence, homophobia, sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behaviour between students in schools. The Ontario government asked the Safe Schools Action Team in February to examine these issues. Its report summarizes the team's findings and recommends areas for action. The government will provide a comprehensive response over time that builds on its safe schools strategy.
  • From the National Crime Prevention Centre (August 2008) PROMISING AND MODEL CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS: see http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cp/_fl/promising-programs-eng.pdf).

    • The website of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) now houses a Resource Library of past publications, advocacy letters, recommended readings, relevant links, and CJCJ in the news. In addition, the Policy Center is updated weekly to provide information on current news in the fields of juvenile and criminal justice.


    • The Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea) is currently establishing an Advisory Committee to support the Ontario Government’s continued commitment to improving school safety. The Ministry of Education will be working with Ophea to assist with the expansion of the current Registry of Bullying Prevention Initiatives. This initiative provides support to schools in identifying effective resources that help prevent behaviour such as sexual harassment, homophobia, gender-based violence, equity issues and continuing to support bullying prevention in general. For more information on the Bullying Prevention Initiative, please visit (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/bullyprevention.html) The Advisory Committee’s role will be to provide direction and guidance with respect to the development of the various components of the initiative. Ophea is proud to have the opportunity to work with the Ministry on such an important project. Learn more about Ophea at our website www.ophea.net. Ophea is looking for members to build the Advisory Committee, with an expertise in the areas of equity issues, safe schools, bullying prevention, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and bullying prevention. Applications are open to all professionals with relevant experience, including researchers, educators, as well as staff from Ophea and the Ministry of Education. For more information or to apply to join the Advisory Committee please send emails to Erin Tallon at erin@ophea.org.

    • Healthy and Safe Schools Part of New Brunswick Accountability Plan
      Schools in NB are to be held accountable for increasing physical activity, safety and emergency preparedness as part of the provincial policy, When Kids come first. See the first annual report on this policy here.
    • Francophone School System in New Brunswick includes Community School Approach
      The provincial strategy for schools include an emphasis on community partnerships, inclusion, health and learning.
    • The Evaluation of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis* (p 465-479) Journal of School Health: Hyoun-Kyoung Park-Higgerson, Suzanne E. Perumean-Chaney, Alfred A. Bartolucci, Diane M. Grimley, Karan P. Singh Abstract | References

    The National Crime Prevention Centre series on better practices has reviewed the Canadian and international studies on the prevalence, risk and protective factors and approaches to bullying prevention in schools. Several evaluated programs are noted as promising. The report also suggests that: " There is an emerging consensus among the bullying prevention literature that the ‘whole-school’ approach is an effective and lasting approach to prevent bullying in schools. The ‘wholeschool’ approach includes the creation and adoption of an anti-bullying policy and anti-bullying initiatives. The ‘whole-school’ policy that guides this approach outlines the roles, responsibilities and procedures for staff, a code of conduct for students as well as the consequences for bullying and improvements in the way bullying incidents are addressed. Generally, successful ‘whole-school’ preventive responses must exhibit the following key principles:
      • Strong teacher and adult leadership and strong student teacher bonding
      • Clear and consistent behavioural norms
      • Adult awareness and involvement
      • Effective (focused and intense) supervision

    Involvement of multiple stakeholders
  • Involvement of youth in program development and delivery
  • Target multiple risk and protective factors
  • Quebec English School Boards Association Release Report on the Impact of the Internet and related technologies.
    This report reiterates that "overwhelming research evidence indicates the need for a mind-set and policy shift away from reactive responses that fail to address the root causes of negative discourses (both in school and cyber-space). Responses will fail if they do not recognize that cyber incidents happen within a complex social framework that is not limited to the instance of abuse". http://www.qesba.qc.ca/en/index.shtml.

    On a related note: privacy related commissioners across Canada called for more to be done on this issue of youth privacy in cyberspace. See:     http://youthprivacy.ca/en/index.html.

    • New Brunswick Report on Youth Recommends Comprehensive Youth Services FREDERICTON (CNB) - A report on the condition of youth-at-risk and youth with very complex needs in New Brunswick was released early in 2008 by NB Child & Youth Advocate. The report makes 48 formal recommendations to government that are intended to improve services to children and youth in the province, including: the designation of a Minister responsible for Child and Youth Services with a legislated mandate to co-ordinate and integrate services for children and youth across all government departments; the decriminalization of youth with mental health disorders; and the establishment of community-based residential capacity for children with very complex needs. Copies of the report are available online at http://www.gnb.ca/Ombudsman.
















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