Safe Schools
2021-2022
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and community partners are committed to making our schools safe for all students and staff. As a result, schools will respond to all student behaviours that pose a potential risk to other students, staff, and members of the community.
When school staff, students and/or community partners identify that a student(s) behaviour poses a potential threat to themselves and others, the Community Violence Threat Risk Assessment Protocol (VTRA) will be activated, so that school administration can quickly take further steps to protect the well-being of our students, staff and community. Behaviours include, but are not limited to: serious violence or violence with intent to harm, possession of a weapon/replica, making a bomb threat/plan, verbal or written threats to kill or injure (clear, direct and plausible), the use of technology (text and collected from online sources from open source sites) to communicate threats to harm/kill others or cause property damage, fire setting, sexual intimidation/assault, ongoing pervasive bullying and/or harassment, gang related intimidation or violence, and hate incidents motivated by factors including, but not limited to: race, culture, religion, and/or sexual orientation.
Each school has a Violence Threat Risk Assessment Team, which is multi-disciplinary and at a minimum includes the school administration, designated Board staff, including the Superintendent of Safe Schools, and the police. The Violence Threat Risk Assessment team may also include other community agencies or individuals who work in collaboration to keep our schools safe such as, Family and Children Services Agencies, youth justice, and children’s mental health agencies/practitioners.
A Violence Threat Risk Assessment will be completed by the team to:
- Determine if the threat maker actually poses a risk to the target(s) they have threatened.
- Put in place immediate risk reducing interventions.
- Better understand the factors that contributed to the threat maker’s behaviours.
- Develop an intervention plan and supportive response for all those involved and impacted by the threat.
A more comprehensive risk evaluation may also be deemed necessary to determine if the threat maker poses a further risk to a known or unknown target(s) in the future.
It is important for all parties to engage in the Violence Threat Risk Assessment process. If a parent/guardian cannot be reached, or if they choose not to participate or provide consent, but a concern for safety still exits due to threatening behaviour, the Violence Threat Risk Assessment Protocol will still proceed to ensure a safe and caring environment for all.
Information shared throughout the Violence Threat Risk Assessment process will respect and balance each individuals’ rights to privacy with the need to ensure the safety of all. Intervention Plans will be developed and shared with parents, staff and students, as required.
The VTRA Protocol reflects the thinking and work of J. Kevin Cameron, Director of the North American Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response. See Community Violence Threat Risk Assessment Protocol at www.cdsbeo.on.ca.
Educating and inspiring… heart, mind, body, and soul!
2021-2022
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Please see our bullying-prevention-intervention plan brochure.
Educating and inspiring… heart, mind, body, and soul!