About Kernahan

Anti-Bullying Policy

The District School Board of Niagara will not tolerate acts of violence or assault by students. Fighting, bullying, harassment and threatening by act, gesture or writing/E-mail may be considered forms of assault.

Such behavior is inconsistent with the expectations for students outlined in the District School Board of Niagara Policy: Discipline Policy (Code of Student Behavior) and more specifically outlined in each school's Code of Conduct. The range of options includes corrective actions up to and including suspension, expulsion and/or Police involvement.

Kernahan Park Secondary School will not tolerate bullying in ANY form. All members of the school community are committed to ensuring a safe and caring environment which promotes personal growth and positive self-esteem.

What is bullying?

Bullying is a conscious, willful, and deliberate hostile activity that is done repeatedly over time, and is intended to harm.

It can cause embarrassment, discomfort, pain
it can take different forms: physical, verbal, gestures, sexual, cyber, exclusion.
it can be an abuse of power
it may be planned or may be unintentional
it can involve individuals or groups

Examples of bullying

any form of physical violence such as hitting, pushing or spitting on others
interfering with another's property by stealing, hiding, damaging, destroying
using offensive names, teasing spreading rumors about others or their families
using put-downs, belittling others' abilities and achievements
writing offensive notes, email, text messages or graffiti about others
making suggestive comments or other forms of sexual abuse
forcing others to act against their will

If we are bullied

we may feel frightened unsafe, embarrassed, angry, or unfairly treated
our work, sleep and ability to concentrate may suffer
our relationships with our family and friends may deteriorate
we may feel confused and not know what to do about the problem

What do we do to prevent bullying?

As a school community, we will not allow cases of bullying to go unreported. We will not be silent bystanders and will get involved by getting help for the people involved.

Staff MUST

be role models in word and action at al times
be observant for signs of distress or suspected incidents of bullying
make efforts to remove occasions for bullying by active patrolling durning supervision duty, and arriving in class on time
take steps to help victims and remove sources of distress without placing the victim at further risk
report suspected incidents to the appropriate staff member such as Guidance, Special Education, Youth Counselor or Administration

Students should

refuse to be involved in any bullying situation
take some form of action if they are present when bullying occurs; report the incident to a trusted staff member and help break the down the code of secrecy. THis can be done anonymously

Parents/Guardians should

watch for signs of distress in your student e.g., unwillingness to attend school, a pattern of headaches or stomach aches, missing or damaged belongings, requests for extra money
advise your student to tell a staff member about any incidents
inform the school if bullying is suspected even if your student is not directly involved
keep a record (who, what, where, when and how)
not encourage retaliation
be willing to attend any interviews with the school personnel if your student is involved in bullying.

When staff, students and parents work together we can create a safe learning environment at Kernahan Park