Written by Karen Bouchard, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
By Laura Lambe, MSc, PhD student, Department of Psychology, Queen's UniversityIf you’ve ever seen bullying, then you’ve probably also heard people telling you to “stand up to bullying” or to “be an upstander”. Many bullying awareness campaigns use catchphrases like this to encourage bystanders – the people who aren’t directly involved in bullying but see it happen – to intervene and defend the person who is being victimized.
Every child deserves to have a fun and safe summer, free of bullying. Youth leaders and adults can make a huge difference in preventing bullying from happening, and stopping incidents when they do occur. The PREVNet team has put together a new resource for counsellors on handling bullying at summer camp. We encourage camp administrators to distribute this pamphlet to their teams and to take time to discuss how all staff can promote healthy youth relationships this summer!
Earlier this year, we shared our new PSA, "Heroes Inspire Heroes!" In that short film, we shared the message that adults have the power to inspire the young people in their lives through everyday actions.Now we're asking you, "Who's your hero?" Or, "Who do you hope to inspire?"
From kindergarten to high school (and beyond!), healthy peer relationships are essential to one’s wellbeing.
Joyce Li, M.Sc.Every day, across the country, PREVNet researchers work on projects that help us understand bullying, how to prevent it, and how to promote healthy peer relationships.Here are four of our experts who've appeared in the media recently, talking about different ways to prevent bullying, promote healthy relationships, and increase youth wellbeing.
Lavina Sadhwani, MEdWhen your child discloses that s/he is being bullied or has been bullied, how do you react?Anger, fear, disbelief, worry, disappointment, and heartbreak are normal reactions. Although you may be overcome with emotions, it is important to create a safe space for your child to feel comfortable and to share additional details.
Dr. Danielle Quigley“We all know the awful humiliation of a person laughing at you. But that feeling increases tenfold when it seems like everyone is laughing at you. Scrolling through the comments, the world imploded — and took my heart with it.”– Caitlin Seida (salon.com)
Lavina Sadhwani, MEdBefore getting into this blog I want to emphasize that bullying is *not* a rite of passage nor should it be normalized. Bullying is a form is aggression directed towards another and it is harmful.A school is meant to be a place where students can obtain knowledge, engage in team-building activities and feel safe. But when students bully and bystanders watch attentively, it can be traumatic for those who are victimized.