OTTAWA, December 2, 2004 -- York University is launching the Canadian Initiative for the Prevention of Bullying (CIPB) during an inaugural partnership meeting taking place in Ottawa on Friday, December 3.
The purpose of the meeting is to begin the process of developing a national strategy to reduce bullying and victimization among children and adolescents throughout Canada. Led by Prof. Debra Pepler of York University’s LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution, the first three years of the initiative is being funded by the Government of Canada’s National Crime Prevention Strategy.
“Bullying is a serious problem for Canadian children and youth and we are launching the Canadian Initiative for the Prevention of Bullying to address this ongoing problem,” said Pepler. “York's LaMarsh Centre has joined with other partners to spearhead this new national initiative. To promote change throughout all communities across Canada, we will be collaborating with national organizations to raise awareness, assess the problems, develop interventions for bullying, and promote policy development.”
Pepler adds that this integrated and ongoing approach is intended to help Canadian children and youth identify unhealthy social interactions and move towards more positive interactions that will build healthier relationships.
Among the CIPB’s guiding principles:
Bullying is a relationship problem: Bullying is a relationship problem in which an individual or group uses power aggressively to cause distress to another. The relationship problems of bullying contribute to its continuity and the roles children play in bullying.
Relationship problems require relationship solutions: Children who bully require formative, rather than punitive consequences – interventions that not only provide a clear message that bullying is unacceptable, but also build awareness, skills, empathy, and insights, and provide alternatives to bullying. Children being victimized require safety and support to develop positive connections with peers.
Bullying requires developmental and systemic approaches. Bullying problems occur in relationships throughout the lifespan. The nature of bullying changes with the developing capacities of children and adolescents, but bullying is evident at all ages. The lessons of power and aggression learned in playground bullying can transfer to sexual harassment, dating aggression, and may extend to workplace harassment, as well as marital, child, and elder abuse. Interventions, therefore, should begin early on.
Bullying is a community problem, not a school problem. In efforts to reduce bullying, schools need the supportive attitudes and responses of all systems in which children live: at home, in sports, in recreation centres, and in the neighbourhood.
Adults are essential for children’s healthy relationships: Adults are responsible for creating positive environments that promote children’s capacity and competencies for healthy relationships. They are also responsible for minimizing contexts for negative peer interactions. By observing the interpersonal dynamics in children’s lives, adults can construct social experiences in ways that protect and support their developing relationship capacity and minimize the potential of bullying and harassment.
The CIPB team combines the expertise of researchers and practitioners in the field of child development at York University, the Hospital for Sick Children, Queen’s University, the University of British Columbia, and Laval University. Through its partnerships and outreach, the CIPB collaborates broadly with national organizations, community groups, governments, and individuals that work with children and youth.
The meeting, which will be opened by the Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of State for Public Health, will take place at the Ottawa Congress Centre, located at 55 Colonel By Drive from 9 a.m to 3 p.m.
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For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ken Turriff, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 x 22086 / kturriff@yorku.ca
