Province · Canada
Nova Scotia: cyberbullying law for schools
Bottom line for counselors: Schools must have anti-bullying rules, and those rules cover online bullying. Takedown help is limited, so report harmful posts to the platform first. Some online abuse can be a crime under general laws.
Last verified: checked against official sources on 11 November 2026.
Province
Nova Scotia
A provincial school code of conduct, plus CyberScan help for victims.
Compare with anywhere elseProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Yes:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Yes. The Education Act requires a provincial school code of conduct that covers bullying and cyberbullying.
Legal detail and sources
Promotion of Respectful and Responsible Relationships Act (2012) amended the Education Act.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. Principals can act on cyberbullying on or off school grounds.
- Partly:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Partly. Nova Scotia's CyberScan unit helps victims, and courts can order cyberbullying stopped or content removed.
Legal detail and sources
Intimate Images and Cyber-protection Act (2017) replaced the Cyber-safety Act struck down in 2015, with a narrower definition of cyberbullying.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
Not yet. The federal Safe Social Media Act would bar under-16s from regulated social media, but it is not law.
Legal detail and sources
Bill C-34 would stop children under 16 from holding accounts on regulated social media services, with possible exemptions for services that show strong child safeguards. Which services are covered would be set later by regulation.
- Yes:
What are the rules on phones at school?
Phones are not allowed during class; elementary students keep them stored all day.
Legal detail and sources
Provincial directive on personal cell phone use in schools (2024).
- Set nationally:
When is online abuse a crime?
Online bullying can be a federal crime when it becomes harassment, threats or sharing intimate images.
Legal detail and sources
There is no single cyberbullying offence. Criminal Code offences that can apply include criminal harassment (s264), uttering threats (s264.1) and publishing an intimate image without consent (s162.1, added by the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, in force 10 March 2015). The Protecting Victims Act (2026) extended s162.1 to include sexual deepfakes.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. Boards must give principals annual training on the code of conduct.
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