HWDSB bullying review panel set to present interim report to public board

A bullying review panel set up after the death of Devan Selveywillprovide the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board with an update on its work so far during a virtual meeting Monday night.

The Safe Schools Review Panel says 900 peopleattended its community consultations before the sessionswere temporarily derailed by school closures caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Its interim report,which offers an explanation of the framework and progress being used but no details on recommendations, saysmore than 30 per cent of Grade 4-6 students with Hamilton's public school board have experienced physical, social or verbal bullying at least once.

It also notes 25 per cent of Grade 7 and 8 students report being physically bullied at least once during the school year, along with 30 per cent and 32 per cent who experienced social or verbal bullying respectively.

The version of thereport shared online as part of the board's agenda package did not provide a source or methodology for the statistics it included.

The report follows "increased concern" after Selvey wasfatally stabbed outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Oct. 7, 2019. It's meant to provide a"deeper look" into bullying concerns in Hamilton and the HWDSB specifically.

Two brothers were initially charged in connectionwith Selvey's death a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old.

The then 14-year-old is still charged with first-degree murder, whilecharges against the older brother have since been reduced.

Following school closures because of the pandemic, several public sessions with groups including the racialized community and a general session haven't been able to take place.

The reportnotes the themes the panel has developed are only based on the gatherings that have happened, so more may be added.

The panel isfocusing on four areas of bullyingprevention, intervention, reporting and responding and touched on themes for each of those areas in its interim report.

Those themes include training staff and students on how to intervene in bullying situations, training teachers about restorative justice and holding them accountable and ensuring policies don't punish students who stand up to bullies.

The report also notes victims of bullying and harassment at the high-school level are more likely to be perpetrators as well.

Members of the panel will make theirrecommendations in a final report based on community feedback, the survey and expert advice.

A motion the boardwill consider Monday night offers a new target date for thatfinal report to be submitted to the director of education and board of trusteesDecember2020.

An online survey is also being set up for students, staff and parents to fill out in the fall.