The PREVNet Perspective is Binocular

Children’s development and social relationships are complex. To bring them into focus and see them in depth, we need binocular vision. Through one lens, we focus on the individual child and his or her strengths and challenges. Through the other lens, we focus on the child’s relationships within the family, peer group, school, and community and focus on the strengths and challenges in those relationships. The PREVNet perspective of understanding, assessing, and intervening is guided by a binocular vision of children and the relationships they’re developing.

Lens on the Individual Child or Youth: Signs of Bullying Others

Children and youth who bully may show behaviours or emotional signs that they are using power aggressively:

• Little concern for others’ feelings
• Does not recognize impact of his/her behaviour on others
• Aggressive with siblings, parents, teachers, friends, and animals
• Bossy and manipulative to get own way
• Possessing unexplained objects and/or extra money
• Secretive about possessions, activities, and whereabouts
• Holds a positive attitude towards aggression
• Easily frustrated and quick to anger
  

Lens on the Child or Youth’s Relationships: Signs of Bullying Others

Children who bully others often experience power and aggression in their own relationships or in those close to them:

• Parents may model use of power and aggression by yelling, hitting, rejecting child
• Parents may model use of power and aggression with each other
• Siblings may bully child at home
• Child has friends who bully and are aggressive
• Child has trouble standing up to peer pressure
• Teachers or coaches may model use of power and aggression by yelling, excluding, rejecting
• Few opportunities to shine and show talents at home, school, or in the community (positive power).

Lens on the Individual Child or Youth: Signs of Victimization

Children and youth who are being victimized often show a change in behaviour and/or emotions:

• Not wanting to go to school or participate in extra-curricular activities
• Anxious, fearful, over-reactive
• Exhibits low self-esteem and makes negative comments about him/herself
• Headaches and stomach aches
• Lower interest and performance in school
• Loses things, needs money, reports being hungry after school
• Injuries, bruising, damaged clothing, broken things
• Unhappy, irritable, little interest in activities
• Trouble sleeping, nightmares, bedwetting
• Expresses threats to hurt himself/herself or others

Lens on the Child or Youth’s Relationships: Signs of Victimization

Children and youth who are victimized often lack relationships in which they can experience positive identity, power, and independence:

• Parents may be overprotective, restrictive
• Siblings may bully child at home
• Lonely and isolated at school
• Few friends at school or in neighbourhood
• Teachers may be unaware of child’s strengths and challenges and therefore unresponsive to needs.
• Few opportunities to shine and show talents at home, school, or in the community (positive power)

The PREVNet Perspective is Binocular

Children’s development and social relationships are complex. To bring them into focus and see them in depth, we need binocular vision. Through one lens, we focus on the individual child and his or her strengths and challenges. Through the other lens, we focus on the child’s relationships within the family, peer group, school, and community and focus on the strengths and challenges in those relationships. The PREVNet perspective of understanding, assessing, and intervening is guided by a binocular vision of children and the relationships they’re developing.

Lens on the Individual Child or Youth: Signs of Bullying Others

Children and youth who bully may show behaviours or emotional signs that they are using power aggressively:

• Little concern for others’ feelings
• Does not recognize impact of his/her behaviour on others
• Aggressive with siblings, parents, teachers, friends, and animals
• Bossy and manipulative to get own way
• Possessing unexplained objects and/or extra money
• Secretive about possessions, activities, and whereabouts
• Holds a positive attitude towards aggression
• Easily frustrated and quick to anger
  

Lens on the Child or Youth’s Relationships: Signs of Bullying Others

Children who bully others often experience power and aggression in their own relationships or in those close to them:

• Parents may model use of power and aggression by yelling, hitting, rejecting child
• Parents may model use of power and aggression with each other
• Siblings may bully child at home
• Child has friends who bully and are aggressive
• Child has trouble standing up to peer pressure
• Teachers or coaches may model use of power and aggression by yelling, excluding, rejecting
• Few opportunities to shine and show talents at home, school, or in the community (positive power).

Lens on the Individual Child or Youth: Signs of Victimization

Children and youth who are being victimized often show a change in behaviour and/or emotions:

• Not wanting to go to school or participate in extra-curricular activities
• Anxious, fearful, over-reactive
• Exhibits low self-esteem and makes negative comments about him/herself
• Headaches and stomach aches
• Lower interest and performance in school
• Loses things, needs money, reports being hungry after school
• Injuries, bruising, damaged clothing, broken things
• Unhappy, irritable, little interest in activities
• Trouble sleeping, nightmares, bedwetting
• Expresses threats to hurt himself/herself or others

Lens on the Child or Youth’s Relationships: Signs of Victimization

Children and youth who are victimized often lack relationships in which they can experience positive identity, power, and independence:

• Parents may be overprotective, restrictive
• Siblings may bully child at home
• Lonely and isolated at school
• Few friends at school or in neighbourhood
• Teachers may be unaware of child’s strengths and challenges and therefore unresponsive to needs.
• Few opportunities to shine and show talents at home, school, or in the community (positive power)