The mother of a Thunder Bay High School student in Ont. Has set up a social media group to spark a conversation about the level of violence and harassment she and other parents say occur there to suggest solutions. .
Pam Kaartinen said she felt compelled to act after her child was punched in the classroom, and the school’s response, she said, was “apathetic”.
“I come from a parent’s point of view. I want my children, other people’s children, I want every generation to go to school and feel safe,” Kaartinen said, adding that she did not want to share details about what happened to her child. but the police were not involved.
The Facebook group surveyed parents about their children’s school experiences and allowed them to post stories anonymously. It is also a matter of concern that some students do not feel safe walking down corridors or stairs, and children avoid bathrooms.
Other parents in the group share stories of children who have been bullied and involved in physical violence or witnessed school violence.
CBC News did not independently check the stories on the social media page, and Kaartinen admitted that “there are many students and parents who have positive experiences at the school of Pope John Paul.”
Omer Bellisle, head of all three high schools at the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB), said the board is aware of parents’ concerns. Bellisle added that he was confident in the level of supervision and security of Pope John Paul II.
“I can’t just sit”
Concerns about possible violence against Pope John Paul II surfaced in October 2021, Kartinen said when her child returned home and told her that a classmate had been punched in front of them in the schoolyard. She said she had requested a meeting with the principal to discuss policies against school violence.
“We all know that school violence exists all over the country. It was there before the pandemic, during the pandemic and it will be there after that, unless we move forward and follow the policies [dealing with violence] to the profile. “
Pope John Paul II has 566 students in 7th and 8th grades, with more than 60 staff, including educators, secretaries, canteen leaders and trustees, according to the school’s website.
Focusing on offering solutions to prevent school violence, Kaartinen said more surveillance or cameras in places such as corridors and staircases could help.
During a meeting with the principal, Kaartinen said she suggested a number of options, such as creating a suggestion box or using online survey tools to see if students feel safe at school. She said she had not received any commitments from the school administration or the council that they would consider further strategies to alleviate school violence.
“When I say to my child, ‘Why is this happening?’ And my child says to me, ‘Because they don’t care, they know what’s going on and they don’t care,’ I can’t just sit there,” Kaartinen said.
Then, in early April, Kaartinen said her child had told her they had been hit in the classroom. But when she brought him to school, she added, the school told her their hands were tied.
Then she decided to create a Facebook page where families could share their stories and advocate for change.
“Why is this happening in our schools and is not addressed or is it addressed in a way that allows behavior to go on and on?” She said.
The staff “takes care” of creating a safe school
Responding to parents’ concerns, Belisle said people have the right to express their views and mobilize on social media. With that in mind, you don’t want to dismiss the good things that are happening and the good people that are there. “
He added: “Everyone wants a safe school with clear boundaries and people [at Pope John Paull II] they care, and we know they care. “
The school board is working to increase students ‘opportunities to see social workers, student counselors and diploma coaches, as well as increase teacher training on mental health and meet students’ emotional and social needs, Belisle said.
“We need to understand the root cause, the root cause, the motivation and the triggers that made the student behave in a certain way – if we understand the root cause, it allows us to approach the student in a respectful way without relying too heavily on strict disciplinary measures.” added the chief.
This is something he and Kaartinen agree on – neither of them wants to see an increase in removals or expulsions. But on the issue of supervision, they do not completely agree.
“We are confident in the level of oversight and support at the moment,” Belliss told CBC News, adding that violence is something that schools across the province are dealing with as people deal with the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The evidence is unclear whether school violence is on the rise
But whether school violence is on the rise or not remains questionable, according to two experts who spoke to CBC News.
Tracy Weylancourt is the Canadian Research Department for the Prevention of Mental Health and School Violence at the University of Ottawa.
Vaillancourt said studies in Canada and around the world near the onset of the pandemic showed a significant reduction in harassment. She said she had heard anecdotes about more extreme violent interactions and “really horrible online harassment” in recent months.
“I’m not sure if we behaved best at the beginning of the pandemic, and our oversight was high because we made sure the kids were properly disguised and physically distanced, and maybe things have changed,” Vailancourt said.
Tracy Weylancourt, a Canadian researcher at the University of Ottawa’s Mental Health and Child Violence Prevention, said there was evidence of a reduction in harassment at the start of the pandemic, but had heard anecdotal evidence of more extreme violence. (Caitlin Taylor / CBC)
A team of researchers will revisit school violence this fall to get a better idea of what is happening in Canadian schools, Vailancour said.
Darcy Santor, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of Ottawa who focuses on students’ mental health, said that while bullying and violence at school have been a long-standing challenge, there are fears that rates are rising amid the pandemic. Reasons could include rising levels of mood problems and frustration, Santor said.
Both experts said solutions to tackling the complex problem of school violence could include:
- Supporting students who are coping with difficulties outside the school environment.
- Offering social emotional learning programs that teach students how to better manage their emotional well-being.
- Increase oversight and create better policies for places such as toilets that cannot be constantly monitored.
- Constant dialogue between home and school.
“It’s all well understood,” Santor said. “The challenge is not knowing that this is happening. The challenge is to develop effective policies and programs to reduce the frequency and impact.”
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