Students at Polyvalente Sainte-Thérèse spent last week tackling a subject that touches nearly every school community, bullying, as officers from the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville (RIPTB) led prevention activities during Quebec’s Week Against Violence and Intimidation in Schools.
Held from March 23 to March 27, the province-wide initiative focused on raising awareness about respect, personal responsibility, and the lasting consequences of intimidation. This year’s theme, “As-tu le droit?” (“Do you have the right?”), encouraged students to reflect on everyday actions, whether spoken, written, or shared online, and how those actions can affect others.
Bringing prevention into the classroom
Throughout the week, police officers worked directly with students to explore the many forms intimidation can take. Discussions highlighted how bullying is not limited to physical acts, but can also include hurtful comments, exclusion, and online behaviour that may seem minor at first but can have lasting emotional consequences.
Officers emphasized that everyone in a school environment has the right to feel safe and respected, a message that remained central to the week’s activities.
Students were encouraged to take an active role in preventing bullying by speaking up when they witness harmful behaviour and seeking support from trusted adults or school staff when needed. The goal, police noted, is to create a culture where silence is replaced with support and awareness.
A shared responsibility across the school community
While law enforcement plays a role in prevention, the week’s activities reinforced the idea that creating safe school environments depends on collective effort.
Teachers, staff, and students participated in conversations and awareness sessions designed to strengthen understanding of respect and responsibility. By working together, officials say, schools can reduce incidents of intimidation before they escalate into more serious conflicts.
The collaboration at Polyvalente Sainte-Thérèse stood out as an example of how partnerships between schools and police can strengthen prevention efforts at the local level.
Police representatives also expressed appreciation to the students and teaching staff of Polyvalente Sainte-Thérèse, acknowledging their participation and cooperation throughout the week. Their involvement, officials noted, played an important role in supporting the initiative and reinforcing the message of respect within the school community.
Addressing bullying in an evolving environment
Across Quebec, prevention campaigns like this one have taken on increasing importance as new forms of communication, particularly social media, create additional challenges for students and educators.
Police officials stressed that intimidation is never acceptable, whether it occurs in person or online, and that education remains one of the most effective ways to reduce harmful behaviour among youth.
By encouraging open dialogue and awareness, prevention programs aim to give students the tools to recognize harmful actions and respond appropriately when they occur.
Continuing the message beyond one week
Although the official prevention week has concluded, police say their outreach efforts will continue through ongoing visits and educational sessions in schools across the region.
For many students, the discussions served as a reminder that even small choices, what to say, how to respond, or when to intervene, can shape the climate within a school.
As communities across the Thérèse-De Blainville region continue to prioritize student well-being, last week’s initiative underscored a simple but powerful message: respectful environments are built daily, through awareness, empathy, and shared responsibility.
