Constructing bullying in Ontario, Canada: a critical policy analysis

Abstract

As the prevalence and negative effects of bullying become widely known, people around the world seem desperate to solve the bullying “problem”. A sizeable body of research about many aspects of bullying and a plethora of anti-bullying programmes and policies now exist. This critical policy analysis asks: how does Ontario, Canada’s bullying policy support and/or undermine critical democracy; and how does it reflect, support and further the interests of neoliberalism and/or neoconservatism? Findings indicate that the policy constructs the problem of bullying as a problem of individuals and a “behaviour for learning” problem. The policy also prescribes standardised responses to bullying incidents. We explore ways in which these constructions are undemocratic and unjust. The findings are particularly concerning because bullying policies are often viewed as innocuous by practitioners. This paper offers more than just critique by providing suggestions for how research and policies can become more just and equitable and how bullying policy may be enacted to support critical democracy.

Keywords:

• bullying
• policy
• critical policy analysis
• Ontario
• neoliberalism
• neoconservatism

Notes

1. Ball et al. (2011) refer to “policies, initiatives, procedures and strategies aimed at producing and sustaining positive behaviour for learning” (3). They both use the phrase themselves and refer to government documents and initiatives that use this phrase. We attribute the phrase to Ball et al. (2011) in this article while recognising that others use it as well.