By: Barbara Victor, Director, Clinical Services

The very worst part of the bullying story is : how consistently unsupported and unprotected by adults children have felt. When asked who they would turn to for help, 40% of our students indicated that they would go to a friend, 17% would speak to a parent and only 4% would speak to an adult at school.
On September 23, Ometz joined the Fondation Jasmin Roy, the CSQ, and the Consulate General on the United States in Montreal to announce an historic partnership : to unite our efforts around the creation of a tool-kit that will enable schools across Quebec deal with bullying and violence, and meet the requirements of Bill 56.

After several years of working with schools throughout Quebec, we are consistently faced with the psychological damage that bullies have brought to their peers, to the fear and insecurities of victims and to the feelings of powerlessness of bystanders, students,parents and teachers alike. What we are learning is that these psychological repercussions do not end with high school but the feelings carry on throughout adulthood if not addressed.
Ometz has been committed to the development of services to children, families and schools by offering a whole school approach, a collaboration between families and schools, professional development for teachers, psycho-educational groups for students and therapeutic counselling for children and families.

We know that bullying is our collective community challenge, It is a teachable moment,not a disciplinary issue. Most of all, it is a complex problem requiring a complex solution.

Last June, Ometz hosted a conference entitled « Changing Cultures : Overcoming Bullying and Abuse », which drew an audience of over 300 professionals. We were fortunate to have Jasmin Roy as one of our panelists for many reasons : for his commitment to this cause, for his knowledge and network and now for our ongoing and future partnership and collaboration.
Research has shown that a sense of community is one of the strongest protective factors against bullying. So, it is clear that it starts today with us, in this community!

Merci, Jasmin, for bringing together the experts who will make available the information, strategies and resources that all of our schools so desperately need. Ometz is pleased to be able to lend our expertise to this effort.
This collaborative work of like-minded allies will surely broaden and solidify our collective efforts. It will enable us to work on building learning communities for all our children; communities that foster safety, trust, support and respect, now and in the future, for all.