The Nova Scotia government is setting up a task force on cyberbullying following the recent deaths of two teenage students, Education Minister Ramona Jennex said Wednesday.
Jennex said the move is in response to two recent cases where grieving parents have blamed online bullying for their children's suicides.
“The events of the past week are a stark reminder that we, as Nova Scotians and as a caring society that puts family above all else, have much more to do to safeguard our children,” she told the legislature.
She said the growth of social media means more needs to be done to safeguard children, despite policies to address bullying in schools.
Alexis Allen, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, welcomed the task force.
“I think the tragedies that we have recently had ... have been a wake-up call to all of us to seek support from the public at large,” said Allen. “We need to talk together to support all of the children in our schools.”
In separate cases, the parents of two teenage girls have come forward in the media to make pleas for more action on bullying.
The parents of a 17-year-old girl from Parrsboro say their daughter killed herself last month after she was bullied for months at school and on Facebook, while the mother of a 15-year-old girl from Truro says her daughter was harassed at school and through a social networking site before she took her own life in January.
A group called Nova Scotia Parents Against Bullying has been lobbying for legislation that would require children who are identified as bullies to receive counselling.
Jennex said she would invite teachers, police, parents and mental health professionals to participate in the task force, which will hold its first meeting in May.
“The government cannot stop all bullying with a change in policies,” said Jennex. “But we have an obligation to bring people together to find solutions that help children and families to be and remain safe from bullying.”
Jennex said the terms of reference are being developed, but it's expected the group will examine things like the extent of cyberbullying among students and other young people.
The task force will also look at strengthening provincial and school policies around online bullying and at the possibility of legislation.
A series of eight focus groups will also be held to seek input from young people before the task force produces recommendations, which are expected by December.
