Violence against girls in Montreal’s schools is on the rise, at the same time chronic underfunding and staff shortages are straining the public education system, according to union leaders and public health experts.
The Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN) says the situation has become “untenable,” with staff at their limits and students increasingly exposed to bullying, sexualized aggression, and other forms of violence.
Annie Charland, president of the School Support Sector of the FEESP-CSN, linked the surge to broader societal influences amplified online.
“We’re seeing a lot of misogynistic videos—that are currently circulating on TikTok, Facebook, pretty much every platform, where you see men saying, ‘No, women need to go back to the kitchen and they need to listen to their husbands and all that.’ We’re seeing a rise in that right now. So, of course, our teens are seeing it, and they’re getting caught up in it too. So I think for girls, that’s one of the major issues we’re seeing right now,” she said.
Experts say social media allows harassment to follow students home, turning schools into a 24-hour battleground. Ariane de Palacio, agent for planning, programming, and research at Montreal’s regional public health directorate, highlighted the new reality.
“It’s kind of a 24 hours kind of cycle of violence that can follow a kid home. Whereas before, you know, when you had one fight or one incident at school where it was kind of contained. And it didn’t follow that kid for you know, days, weeks and everywhere they go. So now they have a cell phone, everything that they can, they’re exposed to in terms of violence follows them everywhere,” De Palacio explained.
Charland said a lack of personnel makes it impossible to provide proper support.
“The support staff covers 81 job categories… But we’re really lacking resources for people who work directly with the students—like special education technicians… They’re firefighters; they put out fires,” she said.
She cited examples across schools, from daycare to specialized education programs.
Quebec’s government recently touted a 2.4 per cent increase in education funding, but Charland explained the reality for public schools is far different.
“It’s not really 2.4 per cent—the 0.9 per cent actually comes from the government, but the rest comes from our local initiatives, from funds that are going to be allocated, from the private sector that’s going to help out and provide support. We often get money coming in, like for breakfast in the morning, but the food aid comes from the private sector and other sources.”
She added that immediate funding is critical to prevent crises and provide adequate services.
“We need more staff to work specifically on prevention with our children. We need to have the time to work with them, and we need to have the time to provide them with quality services. I mean, I think the government always tells us that yes, it’s providing more funding, it’s providing money, but we mustn’t forget that we had more students before that—the number has increased—and we have many more students with challenges. Our student population has changed.”
According to the EQSJS survey analyzed by de Palacio, Montreal students experienced a long-term decline in school violence over the past two decades (2010–2011 to 2022–2023), but recent data show a reversal, particularly among girls and younger students (Secondary 2 and 3).
“We’re seeing an increase in victimization but also in aggression and violence. So as well, you know, as much on the victimization side as well as the perpetrator side. And this really is kind of a shift from a strong downward trend that had been going on for about 20-25 years,” de Palacio said.
“That shift, that increase was mainly concentrated among girls. So what we saw with boys was that after a strong decrease you have kind of a stagnation between the last two editions of this survey. Whereas with girls you had that strong decrease, well you didn’t have as stronger decrease but then we have an increase,” she added.
The survey found that most students do not experience violence at school or on the way there—62 per cent of girls and 56 per cent of boys—but a minority report frequent violence (8 per cent of girls and 10 per cent of boys). Students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and younger grades face higher rates of victimization.
Victimized students face higher risks of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other emotional challenges, which can affect engagement and success in school.
“Violence has a strong impact on all of those factors… anxiety, depression are very strongly associated with victimization. Also in terms of feeling of safety, feeling that the school environment is supporting… all of those factors that really favor academic success and just a good and happy life in school are impacted by violence. So it’s indirect, but it’s very, very present,” de Palacio said.
She noted that while boys still experience higher overall levels of aggression, the negative consequences of victimization have intensified for girls in recent years.
The survey also highlighted factors that can protect young people from violence and its consequences:
Montreal schools already have prevention programs, anti-bullying plans, and thematic activities, but experts say these efforts need to be strengthened and better integrated across the city to ensure a comprehensive, flexible approach tailored to students’ needs.
Union leaders and public health experts are calling for immediate measures to protect students, including stronger funding, more specialized staff, and integrated prevention programs.
“We need more staff who are qualified to work with these students. Of course, we’re asking for more people, more money, and more financial resources to make this happen,” Charland said.
De Palacio emphasized the importance of a safety net around students, particularly the most vulnerable, involving collaboration between professionals, institutional partners, and community-based organizations to prevent violence and build resilience.
