Action Plan to Prevent and Deal with Violence in the Schools

Timely action and intervention within an overall concerted and structured framework are needed to address violence in schools. Schools cannot, nor should they have to, stand alone in responding to the different types of violence that occur within their walls. They need to establish and consolidate ways to work in conjunction with families, various partners and community organizations.

MELS wants to better equip schools to understand, recognize and intervene effectively to prevent the various forms violence can take. One of these is bullying. The Action Plan consists of some 20 measures designed to create a healthy and safe environment for all students and members of the school community.

The principal measures are as follows:

• Hire support officers for the 11 MELS regional offices and set up regional resource groups working to prevent and deal with violence.
• Organize regional training and support sessions.
• Create reference tools on various violence-related problems and distribute a list of existing resources.
• Have a local intervention strategy for each school.
• Have an emergency intervention plan for each school board and school.
• Publish a semiannual newsletter and a directory of resources for preventing and dealing with violence.
• Create a Web site.
• Hold a provincial forum.
• Provide recurrent financial support for effective early intervention in schools.
• Provide recurrent financial support to establish a guidance and support service for students who have been suspended or expelled.

A number of tools have been made available to school boards, schools, parents and other partners in the school system to help them gain an in-depth understanding of the Action Plan and its measures, familiarize themselves with the administrative and legal frameworks (the Education Act, the Québec Education Program, the Basic school regulation, Complementary Educational Services: Essential to Success, etc.) and to facilitate the implementation of the action plan within their milieu.

The primary objective of this action plan is to provide all young people and their educators with a healthy and safe environment in which the values of respect, inclusiveness, sharing and open-mindedness are acted upon every day. The Ministère hopes that this plan will enable young people to feel more motivated and secure in pursuing their studies, to develop their full potential and to be successful in school.

• Action Plan to Prevent and Deal With Violence in the Schools 2008-2011 (unabridged  and abridged versions)

• Plan d'intervention québécois sur les gangs de rue 2007-2010  (available in French only)
• 2011-2016 Government Action Plan Against Homophobia
• Formation pour prévenir les situations de partage d’images à caractère sexuel chez les 11 à 24 ans  (available in French only)