Working to build a safer city. city. Partnering to make it happen. At Crime Prevention Ottawa, we know there is strength in numbers. We work closely with government, police, school boards, businesses, community services, child protection, the United Way and local residents to reduce crime and build safer communities.
Our vision? To create a city where individuals, families and neighbourhoods feel safe and are safe.
OUR PRIORITIES
• reduce violence against women • reduce crime in high risk neighbourhoods • focus on youth in high risk environments
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SAFETY STARTS WITH YOU
Join us in building a safer Ottawa. Get involved: Take part in efforts to address violence against women, empower young people and create safer communities. Use the Neighbourhood Toolkit: This practical guide offers tips and advice to keep you safe at home, at work and in your neighbourhood. Visit www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/toolkit Sign up for our newsletter: To receive our newsletter, email us at cpo@ottawa.ca
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INSIDE COVER STORY
My Journey The Adventure of a Lifetime
______________ Ottawa’s own Dave Smith talks about life, love and fighting the giants. From his humble beginnings in a family of thirteen in lower town to a life of accomplishment, accolades and an ardent desire to reach out to those who need it most.
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The RCMP Foundation
Helping members give back
Now worse than drinking and driving
Are you listening?
Building pride and getting involved
Being there for young people
When you give back to the community
Learn it. Live it. Pass it on.
10 Drugs and Driving
16 When Girls Feel Fat
20 10 Tips For Building A Safer Community 24 Kids Help Phone
44 Understanding The Dark Side Of Social Media
Sexual violence, social media and youth
Knowing where you came from
It can happen anywhere, anytime
49 The Caldwell Family Centre 52 Cyber-Bullying
58 What Have We Learned About food and weight preoccupation
29 What Do You Gain
38 The Respect Group
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FROM THE EDITOR
en c e Makin g a differ
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Jacques Beauchamp Former Regional Police Office
Do you wonder if you are making a difference in your community?
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Christine Panasuk CREATIVE DIRECTOR
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they were going to change the world, I would not be a very rich man. I think it’s because we don’t believe in the power of one.
Jonathan Beauchamp PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jonathan Beauchamp GRAPHICS & ART www.DESIGNit.CA PRINTED IN ONTARIO, CANADA Dollco, a division of The Lowe-Martin Group CONTRIBUTORS Kelly Ledingham
Gail McVey, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Sandra Friedman, MSW Rev. Joanne Moss Suzanne McLeod, BA, MA, PhD Candidate, Curriculum Developer ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Don Holt
Daniel Cole
Thomas Easton
Crimesense is published by Vantage Publishing Group Corp. and distributed free, all rights reserved. Contents and photographs may not be reprinted without written permission. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors and publication shall not be deemed to mean they are necessarily those of Vantage Publishing Group Corp. or other affiliated organizations. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials. Publications Mail Agreement No. 41927547 ISSN 1927-3142 Crimesense Magazine (Print) ISSN 1927-3150 Crimesense Magazine (Online) Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 40 Colonnade Road Nor th Ottawa, Ontario K2E 7J6 Telephone: 1-888-724-9907 info@vantagepublishing.ca www.vantagepublishing.ca
Usually, people tend to be more comfortable in larger groups, as there is ‘power in numbers’, but one is a very important number that shouldn’t be counted out. David Smith is a living testament to the power of one. I had a chat with Dave at Nate’s Deli, and the stories he shared with me were outstanding. His bio, a brochure of his numerous accomplishments and achievements reaffirmed the notion of the power of one. This letter is to thank David Smith for following his dreams, and helping our kids and teens through many charitable organizations around the world. Dave is 80 years young and he’s still helping people out every day; giving his time and wisdom to individuals and various organizations. He has impacted so many, yet only a handful of people really know all that David Smith represents to the community and how his accomplishments have changed the world. He is living proof that one person can accomplish a lot. What are we doing for our
- est 1990 -
youth and community? The handshakes, the eyes we meet the letters we write the conversations we engage in-- they all make a difference. I believe that when a stone hits the water, it creates a splash followed by a ripple effect. The power of one stone..one drop..one person.
Part of the reason we often seem to step back from this and disengage is because we don’t believe we are having an impact and that our dream isn’t strong enough. The reality is that we all could be like David Smith-making a huge difference in our world, one person at a time. A waterfall starts with one drop. Positive and lasting change takes time to occur, but it certainly does happen. We at Vantage Publishing would like to thank David Smith and family for the hard work that his organization is doing to achieve the dreams of so many people in order to create a better life for others around the world.
Jacques Beauchamp Editor-in-Chief
SAY HELLO Share your comments or suggestions with Jacques by sending him an email at: jacques@vantagepublishing.ca
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kating ey and S k c o H n; Fred r ids Sta undatio o K F e k P s, a M L C m, R s Hughe hristie edingha es; Chri to the C L n e y u u ll F q e n e K h ri ; e n s. 00 c dation; K A Divisio n Davie nt a $5,0 fficer of MP Foun RCMP;Â Shanno on prese O C ti R g a r, d in n d to c u n , ve MP Fo omma ht, Dire Villeneu of the RC illes Michaud, C on; Roger Wrig l. Louise p C ti ; G a Members P d r. M n C omm P Fou dshaw, R .L-R: A/C O, RCM Kelly Bra Program President & CE t. g S ; s n, ake Kid Semerjia hristie L Chair, C
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embers of the RCMP in Ottawa recently traded in their Stetsons for skates to participate in the 2013 Christie Lake Kids STAR (Skills Through Activity and Recreation) Cup Hockey event. Sponsored by the RCMP Foundation, the event teamed up members of the RCMP and the Ottawa Police Service with youth from the Christie Lake Kids STAR Program’s hockey team for some friendly competition on the ice.
The Christie Lake Kids STAR program provides over 600 underprivileged children and youth in Ottawa with access to after school, weekend and holiday programs in the arts and athletics; all with equipment and transportation provided at no cost. The RCMP Foundation has donated $5,000 to the STAR skating and hockey program, which assists Christie Lake Kids in providing young players with the gear, ice time, coaching, transportation and support they need to play this popular Canadian game. A game that is otherwise financially inaccessible to many of them. The Annual STAR Cup Hockey event not only provided the youth with the opportunity to put their skills to the test, but also gave them the chance to get to know their local police officers and interact with their peers.
Dustin Daynard is a Civilian member of the RCMP and has been volunteering with Christie Lake Kids for four years. He says that participating in activities such as hockey with members of local law enforcement allows youth to see officers as positive role models, rather than people to fear. 7
“In some communities, police officers are not necessarily seen as the ‘good guys’,” Daynard says. “Having members participate in events like this, especially out of uniform, humanizes them.” Building these positive relationships with law enforcement members allows youth to develop a deeper respect and understanding that police officers are resources that they can access for help. In addition to the benefits gained by youth, Daynard notes that members benefit from the experience as well. He says that most of the members, himself included, love the opportunity to get out and interact with the community and to represent the RCMP in a positive manner. “The joy in the eyes of the children and the enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers is the payoff for the members that come out to play in the STAR Cup game.”
The Christie Lake Kids STAR program was just one of 29 community programs funded by the RCMP Foundation during their most recent Funding Round, representing a total of $105,588 donated across Canada.
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Members across the country volunteer their time to give back to the communities in which they work. Through its funding program, The RCMP Foundation is assisting them as they tackle a number of issues from crime prevention and internet safety, to drug and alcohol abuse, and literacy and fitness. Thanks to a $9,980 donation from the RCMP Foundation, youth in Chilliwack, British Columbia are being provided with video based training on internet safety, through the CyberSafe Certification Course. A $5,000 donation to the First Nations Cultural Resource Centre for Youth in New Brunswick is helping address the issues of poverty, crime, loss of culture and high suicide rates among young people in First Nation communities. And $2,500 donated to the St. Albert Community Cadet Corps is promoting healthy life choices to youth as demonstrated by positive RCMP role models. All of the programs funded by the RCMP Foundation have a strong connection to local RCMP and represent
many issues confronting youth, most of whom are in lower socioeconomic circumstances and looking to fit into a positive and nurturing environment. Over the course of its 19 year history, the RCMP Foundation has provided more than 8 million dollars to over 800 community groups across Canada. CS
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To learn more about RCMP F o u n dat i o n a n d
how
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Commanding Officer of A Division, A/Commr. Gilles Michaud and Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau drop the puck at the Christie Lake Kids STAR Cup Hockey event.
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I
’m sure like most parents; you’ve talked to your kids about the dangers of drinking and driving but what about drugs and driving? Over the past twenty years, drinking and driving campaigns have made that dangerous behaviour socially unacceptable. Most kids have learned not to get in a car when impaired or with an impaired driver and to call you if they need to get home. However, did you know that the latest growing trend for kids is to smoke a joint and grab the car keys? According to a U.S. study¹, 19% of teen drivers report having driven under the influence of marijuana. More than a third (36%) of those teens didn’t believe that smoking marijuana had impaired their driving. Here in Canada, according to CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), among those aged 16-18, 20.6% reported having driven after using cannabis, higher than the 19.6% who reported driving after alcohol use. ¹Teens today survey - SAAD (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
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Is it because kids think they won’t get caught if stopped by police?
evaluation and classification assessment, or DEC, was voluntary. Motorists convicted of driving while under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, now face a minimum $1,000 fine for a first offence. Very little information is available on the use of drugs by drivers involved in crashes however a study of drivers tested at a trauma centre in Toronto for injuries sustained in a car crash, found 41% tested for drugs and 35% were positive for alcohol². Research suggests that cannabis is the illegal drug most frequently implicated with drugged driving. This pattern is found both in Canada and in other parts of the world³.
In Ontario, for example, legislation on impaired driving came into effect in 2008 that includes tougher penalties and mandatory tests for drivers suspected of taking drugs. A driver found to be impaired during a roadside test will be required to provide a mandatory sample of bodily fluids. Prior to adoption of the law, the bodily-fluids test, known as a drug
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There is a misunderstood view of the impact that marijuana or other drugs have on someone’s driving abilities. At the Partnership for a Drug Free Canada (PDFC), we have already begun making the public aware of the dangers of drugged driving by broadcasting national radio messages. ² CCSA (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse) – Drug Use by Fatally Injured Drivers in Canada (2000-2008) ³ CCSA (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse) – Drugs & Driving FAQ’s
(15.3% Vs 9% – CAMH : OHDUHS 2011)
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Passengers play a significant role. Most teen drivers say they would stop driving under the influence of marijuana (90%) or alcohol (94%) if asked by their friend passengers.
Boys are more likely than girls to drive after consuming marijuana
Young people who use drugs and drive may be particularly at risk for motor vehicle accidents because they have less driving experience and are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour.
What can parents do to help their kids make the right choices? PDFC believes that a good first step is having a meaningful conversation with your child about the additional dangers of drugs when a vehicle is involved. Let them know about the growing trend of drugs and driving and that cannabis or any kind of drug is no less dangerous than alcohol. Driving is one of the single most dangerous activities at the best of times, let alone when the driver’s faculties are impaired.
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Talk to your child about strategies to avoid situations where they could put their lives and those of their friends in danger and remind them to never get aboard a car driven by someone who has taken drugs.
• No distractions while driving, including eating, changing CDs, handling iPods and putting on makeup; and no cell phone use, including text messaging (just pull over).
Parental involvement can significantly improve teen driving statistics.
Importance of the Passenger:
What type of parental involvement works? • Parents need to set clear expectations with their teens about safe driving • Parents need to establish and enforce consequences should expectations not be met The U.S. study found good parenting also can cut down on car crashes, speeding, and distracted driving among teens.
Suggested family rules for teen drivers include:
Passengers play a significant role. Most teen drivers say they would stop driving under the influence of marijuana (90%) or alcohol (94%) if asked by their friend passengers. Yet teen passengers are seemingly less concerned about riding in a car with a driver who has used marijuana than with one who has used alcohol¹. So as a parent, be aware that any conversation regarding a vehicle should include both alcohol and drugs. Don’t wait till it’s too late to have a talk with your kids. CS For
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• No driving on expressways • Imposing a reasonable curfew • No use of alcohol or other drugs (a family “zero tolerance”)
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hen I first met my husband we would spend a lot of time talking on the telephone. Each time that Dan would call he would ask me about my day. I would provide him with a detailed blow-by-blow account of how I spent my time. Inevitably there would come a point where I would begin to feel as if I was holding a dead piece of plastic in my hand. “Are you listening?” I would ask, feeling my anxiety mounting because of his lack of response. “Yes, yes, go on,” he would say. And so I would go on until once again I would feel what I perceived as distance between us. “Are you listening?” I would ask again. “Yes, yes, go on,” he would say with just a hint of impatience in his voice. We didn’t have the same trouble face to face, but no matter how much we tried to communicate with each other by phone, we seemed to get caught up in a dynamic that left us both frustrated. It wasn’t 16
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until years later – when I became interested in the processes of gender development – that I recognized the impact that our gender differences had on these attempts at intimacy. Girls and boys grow up to inhabit two different gender cultures with quite different languages and different ways of interpreting and responding to situations. While they may, as individuals, do the exact same things, they will likely experience them and describe them differently.
Girls feel fat when they are angry, sad, lonely and insecure – and when they have no language for their emotions or feel unsafe in expressing them.
If we want to work with girls and boys in ways that bring out the best in them, or if we want to improve our relationships with the opposite sex, or if we just want to have a better understanding of ourselves, then we need to understand gender cultures – how they develop, how they determine behavior and influence perspective, and the impact that society has upon them.
UNDERSTANDING GENDER DIFFERENCES
gestation the male androgen (testosterone) stimulates the development of male genitalia and alters the brain of those fetuses that are genetically male. Right from birth boys and girls march to different drummers. Basic differences in the brain structure may account for many of the differences in behavior in boys and girls that are evidenced shortly after birth. Boys tend to be interested in dynamic activity and in objects, while girls show a tendency to be interested in people and in communication.
Gender differences begin at conception. While every fetus is female by default, at different points of 17
Growing up male:
Popular psychological theories describe male development as progressive or stage related. They see independence and autonomy as the major tasks of development. In order for boys to become independent (to ‘stand on their own two feet’) they must separate from their mother at an early age. They hold that boys develop their sense-ofself based upon their individual accomplishments and how well they perform in the world. (Recent studies are now beginning to challenge the need for boys to separate at an early age and to describe the psychological damage that this separation does to boys.) Boys tend to have tremendous energy, a willingness to venture into the unknown and a need to take action and to test their limits. They play in large groups because of their need for physical activity. Team sports teach them about winning and losing and being on top. Boys assess each situation in terms of their sense of adequacy and where they fit in. They are able to tolerate conflict better than girls. Loyalty and fairness play a big part in their friendships. Because language and communication are tools used to win arguments and gain power over others, boys tend to solve problems on their own.
Growing up female: Unlike boys, girls do not separate from their mothers
but develop their identities and sense-of-self in the context of their relationship first with their mother and then with significant others. Girls are interdependent. They perceive the world in the context of their relationships. Girls travel in pairs. (How many girls does it take to go to the bathroom in a public situation?)
Girls play in small groups that are based on communication and connection. Their games teach them empathy and sensitivity. They have fewer rules than boys’ games and girls will change the rules to accommodate the situations that arise. Girls have a best friend. They use language to create intimacy. They do this through sharing the details of their lives. When girls talk they validate each other by making empathic sounds. They interject experiences of their own to let the other person know that she is not alone in how she feels. Girls solve problems by talking to a friend. If it’s a big problem, they talk to two friends. Girls assess each new situation in terms of how connected they feel. Feeling connected to someone else gives them a sense of well being. Lack of connection (or a disruption in their connections) makes them feel anxious. You can see from this description of gender differences how Dan and I had trouble communicating. When he didn’t make empathic noises and readily share his own experiences, I felt disconnected from him. Because he measured his sense of adequacy by helping me ‘fix’ my problems, he became impatient when it took so long for me to get to the point (so that he could advise me what to do and therefore let me know he cared!).
THE IMPACT OF SOCIETY ON GIRLS Before girls reach puberty they thrive in their female gender culture. They are physically active and relatively unselfconscious about their bodies. They are honest and direct in their relationships. They speak their minds and voice their opinions. Because they learn to read and write and develop social skills before boys do, the early stage of elementary school is a positive experience for most girls.
THE IMPACT OF PUBERTY As girls enter puberty they begin to feel out of control. Their bodies and their lives begin to change. Girls disengage from the internal experience of their bodies as they stop using them. They begin to focus solely on their external appearance and upon how they look to others. During puberty girls are taught that their accumulation of body fat – which is normal and necessary for female development and reproduction – is judged abnormal by adult society. At a time when they need nourishment to facilitate their growth, many girls begin to restrict their food intake because they are afraid of getting fat. They measure themselves against each other and reinforce the message that they must constantly try to change their bodies in order to fit in.
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LEARNING TO ‘FIT IN’ Because girls develop their identities in the context of their relationships, they flourish when these relationships are open, honest and mutually supportive. When girls reach adolescence they are encouraged to hold back their own feelings and opinions in order to fit in. Girls lose a vital part of their selves. They are taught by society (including people such as ourselves) that it is better to be kind and nice than run the risk of hurting someone else’s feelings. They move from being the center of their own experience to looking outward for definition and accommodating themselves to the needs of others. Girls also find the need to reinvent themselves in adolescence in order to fit into the male culture. They negate the relational part of their female culture that makes them feel good about themselves. Because girls are socialized to internalize their distress-to draw their pain into themselves-they blame themselves and feel angry with themselves. They learn to speak about themselves in a negative voice. They tell themselves that they are ugly or stupid. Because thinness is equated with being perfect and fat is labeled as bad, girls begin to feel fat. When they cannot express their feelings or speak about their experiences, they deflect them onto their bodies and encode them in a language of fat.
THE LANGUAGE OF ‘FAT’ When girls feel fat they are not referring to the size of their bodies. Thin people feel fat and fat people feel fat. Nobody feels fat all the time (although many anorexic girls will tell you that they do). If you feel fine at two o’clock and at two-thirty you feel fat, the chances are you did not swallow a watermelon. The change in you is emotional and not physical. Girls feel fat when they are angry, sad, lonely and insecure – and when they have no language for their emotions or feel unsafe in expressing them. This speaking in code causes girls to shift their focus from their inner experience to their external self. This just reinforces their alienation from their selves and accelerates the detachment from their bodies that they are already beginning to feel. While many girls feel fat, not all of them will develop an eating disorder. Anorexia and bulimia are part of a continuum of disordered eating that includes compulsive eating, chronic ‘normalized’ dieting, weight preoccupation and body dissatisfaction. As well, the same societal dynamics and pressures that cause girls to disconnect from their bodies (and their inner selves) also contribute to the other health and social risks to which girls of this age are especially vulnerablesuch as smoking, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol use and sexually transmitted diseases. CS N at i o n a l E at i n g D i s o r d e r I n f o r m at i o n C e n t r e 200 E l i z a b e t h S t . 7ES-421, T o ro n to .ON. M5G 2C4 w w w . n e d i c . c a Adapted from Sandra Susan Friedman’s Just For Girls (1999, 2003) and When Girls Feel Fat: Helping Girls Through Adolescence (1997, 2000).
SOURCES • Erik Erikson. Identity, Youth and Crisis. New York: W.W. Norton, 1968. • Carol Gilligan and Lyn Mikel Brown. Meeting at the Crossroads: Women’s Psychology and Girls’ Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992. • Michael Gurian. The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do to Shape Boys into Exceptional Men. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1996. • Anne Moir and David Jessel. Brain Sex: The Real Difference Between Men and Women. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1991. • William Pollack. Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. New York: Random House, 1998. • Janet L. Surrey. “The Self-in-Relation: A Theory of Women’s Development,” in Judith Jordan, Alexandra G. Kaplan, Jean Baker Miller, Irene P. Stiver & Janet L. Surrey, eds. Women’s Growth in Connection: Writing from the Stone Center. New York: Guilford Press, 1991. • Deborah Tannen. You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation. New York: Ballantine Books, 1990. Books by Sandra Friedman, available at www.salal.com WHEN GIRLS FEEL FAT: Helping Girls Through Adolescence. 2000: Toronto, HarperCollins JUST FOR GIRLS. 2003: Vancouver, Salal Books NURTURING GIRLPOWER: Integrating Eating Disorder Prevention /Intervention Skills Into Your Practice. 2003: Vancouver, Salal Books BODY THIEVES: Help Girls Reclaim Their Natural Bodies and Become Physically Active. 2002: Vancouver, Salal Books
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f you value the neighbourhood in which you live, you know how important it is to build a sense of community and belonging for you, your family and your neighbours. Building community spirit helps build pride among residents. With that pride comes a greater sense of wellbeing in your neighbourhood. People feel safe. They get involved. And they truly start to care about the place they call “home”. It also tends to show criminal elements that they are not welcome in your community, making it a safer, better place to live.
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Adopt a park, roadway or gateway The City of Ottawa’s Adopt-a-Park or Roadway or Gateway program encourages community members to care for and maintain parks and roadways. Volunteers take on park or roadway clean-up projects to improve safety, the environment and to keep the city clean, green, and litter and graffiti free. Find out more at www.ottawa.ca.
Build a community garden A community garden is a place where people come together to grow flowers, herbs, fruits or vegetables. Often, community gardens make use of neglected or underused spaces in neighbourhoods, providing beauty and sometimes food for the people who tend them.
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Design safer surroundings To help prevent crime in your neighbourhood, take a look at your surroundings. Are your streets, walking paths, parks, areas around homes and other public spaces designed in a way to maximize safety? An increasingly popular and effective method of planning is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). CPTED design ideas can be used to plan cities, suburbs, neighbourhoods, parks, places of business and homes. To learn more, visit www.cptedontario.ca.
Do a community clean-up A community clean-up is an event in which friends and neighbours work together to clean up a park, street, ravine, shoreline, pathway, bus stop or other public space. The City of Ottawa has two scheduled “Cleaning the Capital� days. One takes place in the spring and the other in the fall. You can register for these activities by calling 3-1-1.
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Encourage local leadership Do you believe in the value of local leaders? Consider this: without the people who actively work to make your neighbourhood a better place, volunteer their time, recruit others to put initiatives in place, organize activities or raise awareness about important issues, very little would get done. These local leaders are often the unsung heroes in our communities. Get involved and encourage others to do the same.
Involve youth Young people are a big part of our communities. Getting them involved in neighbourhood events and activities can benefit everyone. To involve youth in your community, it’s important to develop interesting opportunities for them. Talk to them. Engage them. After all, today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders.
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Organize a special event
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A special event can be a great way to get your neighbourhood together and build community spirit. Whether you want to plan a community picnic, family day, carnival, street fair, talent show, dance, concert or any other type of special event, the City of Ottawa offers planning advice and information about related Bylaws. Visit www.ottawa.ca.
Publish a community newspaper Community newsletters can be an entertaining way to share important information about your neighbourhood. A good newsletter contains information that is useful and interesting to the reader, such as neighbourhood news, upcoming events, tips for improving their property, local promotions and much more. Gather up volunteers, create an editorial plan and decide whether you want to distribute it in paper or electronic format. It’s a great way to keep everyone involved and interested in what’s going on in your neighbourhood.
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Tap into community grants
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Do you want to buy a play structure, plan an event or beautify your neighbourhood? There are many ways to fund these community projects. You can do fundraising, approach local businesses for sponsorships or apply for grants. For more information on grant monies available, visit the Neighbourhood Toolkit (details below).
Volunteer Volunteering is a positive way to contribute to life in the City of Ottawa. The opportunities are endless—from volunteering at schools to supporting non-profit organizations, charities, local festivals, places of worship or community programs and events. Interested? Start by connecting with Volunteer Ottawa at www.volunteerottawa.ca.
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To learn more about how to put these plans into action, visit Crime Prevention Ottawa’s Neighbourhood Toolkit online at www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/toolkit. It has checklists and advice on getting each of these initiatives underway in your own community. You’ll find them under “Build Community Spirit” in the “Get Involved” section.
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“I wish I could just be happy! My friends are always ditching me, and I always end up home alone on weekends, doing nothing. I always feel like I’m not good enough for people. I can’t sleep, but yet I’m always SOOO tired! My parents don’t realise i’m feeling this way...and I don’t really want to tell them either.” - Actual post from kidshelpphone.ca
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hile we often think of childhood and teen years as a time when young people can be free from worries, pressures, and anxieties, the reality is that all young people – regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender, or income – will experience struggles that can impact their mental health at one point or another. Social and academic pressures, uncertainty about the future, and transitions such as starting a new school or moving can all affect a young person’s mental health and well-being. While stress and anxiety can be natural reactions to these types of life events, some youth may experience more challenges than others or have more difficulty coping. In some cases, young people may experience clinical-level concerns that could involve a diagnosis. For some, a diagnosis can be helpful because it may lead to them getting the support they need. Even though young people may experience mental health challenges and could benefit from added support, many do not reach out for help when they need it. Stigma – meaning negative stereotypes, myths and misperceptions – associated with mental health concerns may be part of the reason that some young people choose to remain silent. They might feel embarrassed or ashamed about what they are experiencing, or they might be afraid that their
friends and family won’t understand what they are going through. The threat of being judged or labeled can also leave young people reluctant to seek help. Fortunately, Kids Help Phone that can be there for young people when they don’t feel comfortable going to anyone else in their lives. For many young people, reaching out to Kids Help Phone is the first step towards breaking the isolation. Kids Help Phone recently conducted evaluations of our phone and Live Chat services and these research findings, released in 2013, revealed that 43 per cent of phone service users had not spoken to anyone else about their problem or situation before calling us. Every day, Kids Help Phone professional counsellors offer support to kids, teens, and young adults from across Canada for a range of mental health concerns, from feelings of sadness or loneliness to depression to self-injury to self-esteem. The support that young people receive from Kids Help Phone can positively impact their health and well-being. For example, 96 per cent of those who participated in our phone evaluation said that they felt respected by their counselor, and 93 per cent said that talking with a Kids Help Phone counselor was helpful. Seventy-three per cent said that they had worked out a plan for how to deal with the problem by the end of the call. 25
Support, in general, makes it easier to cope - Only 1 in 5 children in with life’s stressors Canada who need mental and is linked to lower health services ever receives rates of depression, professional help. greater self-esteem, and more positive attitudes towards school. In addition to Kids Help Phone being an important source of support for young people, support can also come from a variety of sources, including family and friends.
- Get to know the online tools at kidshelpphone.ca that can help young people cope with stress and promote relaxation and well-being. The Peace Garden, Breathing Balloon, and Worry Rockets are all great places to start. You might even want to explore these features together as a family or a class.
Opening up the lines of conversation with the young people in your life and letting them know that they can come to you with anything can help them to feel supported. For ways to encourage discussions about mental health at home, read on!
-Open and supportive - If a young person is communication with parents worried about a friend, is associated with positive recognize that it may be a adolescent outcomes source of stress. Not only (Phares et al., 2009) are they worried about someone they care about, but they might also be concerned about breaking that friend’s trust by confiding in you. Remind them that the most important thing they can do is to continue being a caring friend, but also let them know that some secrets are too big to keep, and that sometimes being a caring friend means speaking up and telling a trusted adult what’s going on, even if their friend doesn’t want them to. This could help their friend to get the support that they need, which is the most important thing.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Here are some tips for promoting and having mental health discussions: BE HOPEFUL, ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE, AND FOCUS ON STRENGTHS AND SKILLS - Believe in young people as a way of helping them to believe in themselves. An adult’s own outlook influences the youth around them. Be hopeful for the young people in your lives. Hope is arguably the most influential, flexible and enduring of all emotions, seen as something that gets us through stressful times, helps recovery, and promotes mental and physical wellbeing. In adolescence, it has also been linked to self-esteem and overall psychological DID YOU KNOW…? well-being. - About 3.2 million young people in Canada ages 12 to 19 are at risk for developing depression.
- Encourage independence. When young people are able to take an active role in making decisions that affect them, they learn that they have some control over their environment. In this way, having choices – and the opportunity to try, fail, and try again – teaches kids, teens and young adults how to be hopeful. - Focus on strengths and skills. When a child is struggling, pointing out the things they are doing well can help them to see their own strengths and become more confident that they will be able to deal successfully with future challenges.
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- Help young people connect with appropriate supports and resources, including, but not limited to, a caring family member, friend, neighbor, teacher, guidance counsellor, Elder, coach, or mental health professional when DID YOU KNOW…? appropriate.
LISTEN, COMMUNICATE, AND REMAIN OPEN - A lot of young people hesitate to reach out to an adult because they are afraid – they may be afraid of being judged, disappointing others or losing support. Tell your kid that you value and accept them for they are. Don’t assume that they already know. - Communicate. Encourage them to talk about what’s happening in their lives – both the good stuff and the bad – while respecting that they may not want to disclose everything. DID YOU KNOW…? - 1 in 4 young people will experience clinical depression by age 18.
- Listen. Show your kids that you really want to understand them. Ask for clarification when you need it, and reflect back what you are hearing.
- Be open to the tough stuff. Do your kids know that you’re open to talking about anything – no matter how tough it is to hear? Let them know that there’s nothing they could tell you that would damage the relationship irreparably. Even if you’ve told them this before, it won’t hurt to remind them.
DID YOU KNOW…? - Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people, after accidents, accounting for 24% of all deaths among Canadians ages 15 to 24.
- Explore different ways to communicate. It isn’t always easy for young people to open up in person, but writing an email, text message, or a letter might feel more comfortable. How the communication happens isn’t what’s important – understanding each other is. - Work on your own mental health literacy. Educate yourself about mental health. If you’re wondering where to start, visit kidshelpphone.ca for expert information, tips, resources, and more.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF - Remember that it’s okay not to have all of the answers – you’re not expected to. If your kid comes to you with a question you can’t answer, why not use it as an opportunity to do some online research and learn together? - Fear, sadness, guilt, anger, and helplessness are normal emotional reactions for parents to have when their kids are struggling. Allow yourself to feel, but try not to let your own emotions overshadow what your DID YOU KNOW…? child is going through. Seek support from - In Canada, 75% of mental friends, colleagues, or a disorders develop by age 24; mental health professional 50% by age 14. if you need to talk. - Take care of yourself. Supporting your child through a challenge or difficulty is no easy task. Take advantage of whatever supports are available to you, and make sure to build in time to relax and recoup.
IN AN EMERGENCY If a young person is in crisis and needs help right now, such as if they are feeling suicidal, call 911, or, take your child to the emergency room at your local hospital. CS 1.800.668.6868 •
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hat is a question we have been asking our profilees over the past four seasons of Getinvolved! on TVO. Each season, Getinvolved! profiles 20 individuals who are getting involved and making change in their communities. And each season, we hear resoundingly that when you set out to change the lives of others, you end up changing your own life as well.
This is the driving ideology behind the Youth Assisting Youth mentorship program. At-risk children and youth are paired with trained volunteer mentors and spend at least three hours together each week. This simple pairing provides kids with a positive role model and gives the volunteers the chance to make a real difference in their community. What makes Youth Assisting Youth’s programs unique is that, as the name suggests, mentors are also youth: ages 16-29. So, while mentees are learning from their elders, youth mentors are also learning about leadership and guidance. YAY volunteer, Jacqueline tells the story of how her relationship with her sixth grade mentee has made a difference in her life.
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through their cancer journey and find healing through art. With his C4 Mural Project, Ray has helped dozens of youth and also found a path to his own healing.
www.getinvolved.ca/givideos/youth-assisting-youth/ Like Jacqueline, River struggled growing up: moving homes and dealing with his parents’ divorce. He had trouble making friends and found it difficult to communicate with people his own age – but that all changed when he began to volunteer. He began to meet new kids from his community who shared similar goals and passions and he was able to find his voice and connect to those around him. Now, River is part of the Mayor’s Youth Task Force and helps give other youth a voice in their community.
www.getinvolved.ca/givideos/river-wong/ Ray also turned to volunteerism to help himself through difficult times. At only 20 years old, Ray was told the unthinkable – “you have leukemia.” During the difficult journey through treatment and recovery, he found there was a gap in support services for people his age. He wanted to devise a medium for young adults to express themselves
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www.getinvolved.ca/givideos/ray-ong/ High school student, Zane, got involved with his community to find meaning after a different kind of battle with cancer. Three years ago, Zane lost his favourite high school teacher to pancreatic cancer – an illness with only a 5% survival rate. But the legacy history teacher, Rocky Yeung, left behind was undeniable, so Zane and his fellow students rallied to create the “Run for Rocky” fundraiser. Through hard work and perseverance, Zane and his friends have raised over $19,000 to fund pancreatic cancer research and honour the memory of their beloved teacher.
that includes social activist, philanthropist, fund-raiser, UNICEF Ambassador, motivational speaker, and author. He has addressed organizations such as URISA Canada, FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance USA, and Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and has been a keynote speaker for several provincial teachers’ conferences. To date, he has raised over $5 million for HIV/AIDS orphans, tsunami relief, aid for Hurricane-devastated Haiti and earthquake victims in India. Bilaal’s remarkable accomplishments prove one is never too young to Getinvolved! CS
www.getinvolved.ca/givideos/zane-schwartz/ Our youngest-ever profilee, Amanda, started fundraising for The Heart and Stroke Foundation when she was just two years old. She was motivated to raise money for the cause after it affected both her great-grandfather and grandmother. What began as a family lesson in giving back has turned into a highly successful annual fundraiser. When we told her story four years ago, her annual lemonade stands had already raised a total of over $100 00. This year, Amanda was named one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20.
www.getinvolved.ca/givideos/bilaal-rajan/
Do you or a youth you know want to get involved in changing your community? Sign up to volunteer, offer your time and skills, and connect with organizations looking for volunteers, just like you!
www.getinvolved.ca/givideos/amandas-lemondae-stand/ Perhaps more than anyone else, Bilaal shows just how much a young volunteer can accomplish when they set their mind to it. Since the age of four, Bilaal has been consumed by a desire to help others. Turning that passion into action, Bilaal now boasts a resume
Become
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j o i n o u r c o m m u n i t y at
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One doesn’t have to go too far to either hear about or to see the impact of Dave Smith’s accolades. If grades could be given out for the achievements in a person’s life Dave would undoubtedly be a straight ‘A’ student with a multitude of gold stars beside his name.
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ince 1959 when he introduced the first Nate’s Deli Dave has achieved numerous business awards, served on several boards, received an Honorary Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Ottawa and an Honorary Law Degree from Carleton University; moreover Dave is a member of the Order of Canada, the order of Ontario, and was recently appointed as an Honorary Colonel with the Canadian Forces. This narrative, however, is not about Dave Smith the renowned philanthropist and entrepreneur with a heart of gold as profiled in the Fifty-Five Plus magazine in June of 2012, but David Smith a precious child of God and faithful servant.
needed it more than I did,” she said, and then he paused in reflection. That was a defining moment for David a cherished memory and an act of kindness that planted a seed that grew and multiplied as he followed in his mother’s selfless footsteps. David came from a family of 13 with many fond memories of living in lower town in Ottawa. “I felt blessed and fortunate we loved each other, mentored one another, we had shelter, food, and clothing which was more than most. We didn’t have a lot of money, but always managed to get by. We were blessed to be a blessing.” When times were tuff, David recalled how his faith had comforted him helping him through many difficulties such as managing the grief and loss of 10 of his own family members.
Gold is a symbol of virtue and distinction, nevertheless, David wasn’t content with having a heart of gold something was still missing, so his search for purpose and meaning took him on many a journey that merely put a dent in the “I have never needed alcohol, drugs, or anything else to get great needs surrounding him. With high. I am loved by my Creator just for being; consequently, I a humble heart and tear-filled love others, because the Great Spirit first loved me.” eyes David explained that all he has ever wanted is to make a ‘real difference.’ He said, “I will He learned at a young age to always look for the silver never forget the memory of my mother lining in every situation and that if one thing didn’t work walking in the door one cold wintery then it was time to try something else. Not succeeding night with no coat on. I asked her was not an option. where her coat was and then came an answer that still gives me goose bumps to David has never been afraid of hard work in fact that has this day - someone else had a lot to do with his success. Putting his talents and resources to work to multiply their value and impact paved the way for one adventure after another, but the most important adventure has been the journey from his head to his heart.
MY JOURNEY
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“Ah yes, I remember one such journey it was one of those ‘Aha’ moments when I had to shift gears because I realized I had to change the way I approached and related to people. In the beginning I was like a bull in a china shop – a steam roller. When I got something in my head I couldn’t understand why others weren’t as excited as I was; in my mind it had to happen yesterday and that isn’t how real life works; accepting that was hard for me. As John C. Maxwell once said, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This is a prime example that success cannot always be measured strictly by visible outcomes, because true success is an inside job. Being teachable, honoring his values and David’s willingness to humble himself are three of the main ingredients in his recipe for victory. His innate need to conquer, be a hero, live life to the fullest, and be a knight in shining armor is clearly how he is hardwired; nevertheless the challenges David embraced along the way created not only opportunities for him to grow into the person he was created to be, but his hand-ups and inspiration have empowered others to do the same. The battle cry of one’s heart and call for adventure can give way to unseen temptations, however, such as adopting a prideful attitude something all humans struggle with at one time or another.
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“It has never been about showing others what I am made of, but rather convincing me of what I am made of. To answer your question, yes there have been times when my pride has gotten in the way. The flip side is I learned that humility builds emotional bridges whereas pride assembles unsurpassable walls.” David what if you lost everything how would you see yourself then? David sat back in his seat rubbed his chin and then his eyebrows while pondering my question and then came the answer of a true champion, “it has never been about me, but God’s love for me. My identity and worth is not based on what I do, possess, or have achieved, but because I belong to and am loved by my Maker.” “My search for significance ended long ago when I accepted this truth. He is my Shalom.” “A heart of gold is a good thing, but knowing the heart of God (The Great Spirit) is even better.”
FIGHTING THE GIANTS
A common theme emerged as David shared some of his challenges from juggling schedules to finding it hard to say no when he was spread thin and exhausted. When people invest themselves in doing good deeds for others they must face their inner giants such as fear, guilt, doubt, and frustration. All kinds of emotions can get stirred up when under pressure like flaming darts coming from all directions. How does the warrior in you deal with these flaming arrows?
The difference between life and death is to accept that life is a risky adventure worth living; to abandon it is death.
David have you ever walked a fine line between being humble or haughty?
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Awestruck David leaned forward as he gave my question some thought, and then came his response.
I never really thought about the fiery darts to tell you the truth because like all good soldiers I keep the shield of faith up at all times so I don’t get blindsided. Without faith; all hope is gone and without hope I would have given up long ago.
David have you ever had unrealistic expectations of yourself and if so did they give way to pre-meditated resentments?
RETIREMENT! HUMBUG
After 54 years of service David came out of retirement in just three short weeks. He said he couldn’t stand the void, he missed the hustle and bustle, but more than that he missed the interaction with his staff and their daily check-ins. “They weren’t just numbers to me they were like family,” he said.
Absolutely! Years ago my first reaction to something I didn’t like or wasn’t comfortable with would be to try and figure out what was causing my resentment or feelings of frustration, over time, however, I learned something important about myself and the nature of resentments, sometimes it is my A double-minded man cannot accomplish anything expectations that let me down not people, situations, or circumstances. I guess what it good; he is unstable in all his ways. boils down to is accepting the things that I (James 1:8) I refuse to live that way. can change and letting go of what I can’t; but that is easier said than done sometimes. It was then that he decided retirement wasn’t for him. As David put it, “my mind was made up I had no intentions of giving it While the giants may differ from one person to the next, I have anymore time three weeks was more than enough for me it was always been determined to face mine so they won’t get the better time to get back in the saddle.” of me. Failing to admit they existed would have been one of my biggest mistakes.”
THE HAUNTED BED AND BREAKFAST
With one adventure after the other it must be hard to keep them straight David. Is there a particular incident that stands out? “Yes there is in fact I remember it well as if it just happened yesterday. A friend went to a meat packing plant with me one time and after the long drive and our time at the plant we decided it was best to find a place to stay for the night instead of driving back to Ottawa tired. A meat packer overheard us talking and he offered to call a local bed and breakfast to give the owner a heads up that he was sending someone over for the night. We thanked him and went on our way. When we arrived an odd looking fellow was outside waiting for us. It was dark, dingy, and even spooky something like out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Without a word he took our luggage and we followed; the tension building with every step. We couldn’t believe our eyes the inside was worse than the outside. There stood before us a tall dark steep narrow staircase giving the appearance that the moment we walked on it; it would open up and eat us alive. Our chins dropped, we looked at each other and simultaneously blurted out that we suddenly remembered having another appointment to get to. We grabbed our luggage from ‘Igor’ (tongue in cheek) and made a speedy retreat. Once safely on our way we laughed so hard we had tears rolling down our faces.”
DUTY CALLS!
David, why do you feel the need to be always on duty? All my life my mantra was ‘duty calls’ everything was pressing, patience was not a virtue, but a thorn in my side. There were places to go, people to see, things to do. I was tormented by the great needs surrounding me. Everything in me said do something just don’t sit there do something. For the longest time this seemed natural, normal, and even necessary. I couldn’t imagine turning my back on the world. I never really questioned these things I just accepted them as fact that is until recently. My perception of retiring hinged on an all or nothing attitude and I couldn’t get past my beliefs.
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I have sincerely enjoyed serving others and I dislike disappointing people with real needs when I can do something to support them. David is it possible that retirement is a gift to embrace rather than a sentence to endure? Would retirement be more appealing if you could accept that you are only part of the solution, instead of the solution? I have always expected things from myself that I would never expect of others. It’s become a way of life and slowing down is foreign to me. It would take a miracle for me to change my attitude, but anything is possible.
PENNY’S FOR SOLES I was always an enterprising lad, I remember when I got a bunch of kids to pay me penny’s to go and watch my dad eat nails. Being a shoemaker he would place the nails in his mouth and maneuver them in such a way that when he was fixing shoes it looked like he was actually eating the nails. My pitch worked. It was fun, financially lucrative and made people laugh.
SECURITY! SIGNIFICANCE! SATISFACTION!
Where did you gain your sense of security, significance, and satisfaction from David? The affirmation I received from my parents and siblings had a lot to do with it, David explained. My parents were good role models and us kids looked out for and helped each other to succeed. We believed in one another and backed up our words with helping hands. As a Jewish boy I became a bar mitzvah (a man) when I turned 13 years of age which meant that I was considered old enough to be responsible for my own actions. The foundation that had been laid out in my formative years prepared me for manhood, however, my Jewish roots have played a major role in shaping my personal identify and views. A good example of this is the different roles my parents played in our household along with the differences between how my mother affirmed me in comparison to my dad. You see; bar mitzvah represents the dad letting go of the son it is not so much about the ceremony, but entering manhood where we are expected to observe the commandments, lead religious services, enter into contracts, and eventually marry. I grew up with boundaries, great
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role models, and was disciplined when warranted all of which formed a satisfying and solid foundation in my life. When I first started out in the restaurant business I didn’t even have enough money to buy tables and chairs; a friend who believed in me lent me the money without any strings attached. Not only did I pay him back I did so with interest. This transaction was sealed with a handshake he saw me as a man of my word and I wasn’t about to let him down. My security, significance, and satisfaction never stemmed from money, but by being recognized as a man of integrity a man who says what I mean and means what I say. These were the values I learned when growing up and they have been worth holding onto no matter what the cost.
LOVE IS THE GOAL
Love is the goal and the need of all people everywhere; therefore, creating a safe space where troubled youth can go to be loved, mentored, grow, and heal is a cause most people will get behind. “As a dad and grandpa I can attest to this,” said David. Raising five million dollars to support the construction of an allnew Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre is hard work, but the real work of rejecting the lies these young people have bought into and replacing them with the truth begins with your support.
MY FIRST DATE My first date was scary I went to my girlfriend’s house for dinner to meet her parents and I didn’t know what to say when asked what my dad did for a living, however, without hesitation I announced that he was a soul saver; they were impressed and so was I. Dad was a shoemaker (sole saver), but I decided to leave out that little detail.
In a world where most people are looking for love in all the wrong places this home away from home will be a place of new beginnings for numerous youth and for their families; a place of refuge. When you give, your gift extends far beyond bricks and mortar, but in dismantling the lies youth buy into about themselves. When the light of truth overtakes the darkness healing begins. David would you like to add anything? “I can’t thank our donors enough for their past support, continued support, and for helping these future leaders to become all they were meant to be.” “The adventure of a lifetime was not about me making a real difference after all, but becoming the ‘real difference’ by developing the character and virtues of a servant’s heart. Being authentic is critical, it is worthless for a man to gain the whole world only to lose his soul in the process. My prayer was answered.” CS To
l e a r n m o r e p l e a s e v i s i t w w w . dav e s m i t h c e n t r e . o rg . dav i d s m i t h 707@ ya h o o . c o m
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I Members of the community are our partners, not our adversaries. Don’t develop an “us and them” attitude. We’re all in this together.
had the privilege of serving the people of Ontario for nearly thirty-five years as a member of the Ontario Provincial Police. In my early years as an eager young constable I was determined to “catch the bad guy” and put him or her behind bars. As the years went by and my experience grew, I learned that it was far better to prevent a crime, than to investigate one. When a crime is committed, people are victimized. Depending on the nature of the crime, being victimized can be a life sentence. This is particularly true when children are victimized. When a crime is prevented, so is victimization. In these days of soaring policing costs, it is also much more cost effective to prevent a crime, than it is to investigate a crime, prosecute an accused, and house an inmate. As a Detachment Commander for many years, and as the Commander of the OPP’s Crime Prevention Section for the last six years of my career, I learned how critical preventing crime is to community safety. I also learned that the police alone are not the answer. Crime prevention is a partnership between
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the entire community and police are but one spoke in the wheel. Community engagement and mobilization is a must, for crime prevention to be effective. When everyone involved has an understanding of the issues and their responsibilities, it creates a common platform for discussion. Everyone becomes part of the solution.
contents are stolen. This crime is so easily preventable if people would simply keep valuables out of sight and lock their car doors. Most theft from autos happens when someone is going from driveway to driveway, checking for unlocked vehicles. If the vehicle is locked, they move on. It’s simple: Lock it or lose it.
I remember several Town Hall meetings over the years, where some community members and local politicians were quick to point fingers at the police asking “what are the police going to do about this problem?” It was interesting when after laying out the planned police response to a given issue, I would then ask the community and politicians what they were prepared to do about the issue, working collectively with police? Crime and crime prevention, is a community issue and requires a community response.
I would also use the following example with my officers: If we observe someone throw a pop can on the ground, and don’t tell them to pick it up and recycle it properly, what message are we sending? If we are prepared to let something as trivial as minor littering go, what else are we prepared to let go? When it comes to crime prevention, taking care of the little things, matters.
One of the best and most common examples of a preventable crime is when vehicles are left unlocked and
Over the years I had many young officers come through my detachments as new recruits. I tried to instill a few key ideas as they got started in their careers: 39
Members of the community are our partners, not our adversaries. Don’t develop an “us and them” attitude. We’re all in this together. Respect is earned. You don’t get it simply by putting your uniform on. Youth are our future. Help them in their development by engaging with them in a positive manner. The old saying, “It takes an entire village to raise a child”, is true. Another key area I worked with in policing was Safe Schools. I had the opportunity to work closely with school boards, the Ministry of Education and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police with critical issues including School Lockdown Planning, the Provincial Model for a Police/School Board Protocol, and Threat Risk Assessment in Schools, all in the name of keeping our kids safe at school. A key element of school safety is the actual climate of the school. Schools with strong leadership and a safe and respectful school climate are at lower risk of experiencing an incident of high-end school violence, such as a school shooting. Schools, which lack leadership, respect and have a poor school climate, are at greater risk of experiencing an incident of high-end school violence. Since my retirement from the OPP two years ago, I have been very fortunate to be able to continue to engage in the area of “prevention”. Last year while testifying in Ottawa before a Senate Committee, I met Sheldon Kennedy. Sheldon skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins, and played for Canada’s gold-medal winning team in the 1988 World Junior Hockey Championship. He was also Captain of the Memorial Cup winning Swift Current Broncos in 1989. Though he was a world-class hockey player, Sheldon is unfortunately perhaps best known for his courageous decision to charge his Major Junior Hockey league coach with sexual assault for the abuse he suffered over a five-year period while a teenager. Sheldon’s subsequent decision to go public with the charges brought these issues to the social forefront. Sheldon recalls,
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I remember thinking I was the only one affected by these issues, I was wrong about that! I also have realised that any form of abuse, bullying and harassment, not just sexual abuse, carries with it the same psychological outcomes, whether in sport, school or the workplace. Fear, shame, low self-esteem, self-doubt, and even suicide. We need to be conscious of that and educate everyone on the outcomes and ultimately, how to prevent them from happening all together.
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In 2004, Sheldon Kennedy along with good friend and business partner Wayne McNeil incorporated Respect Group Inc. (RGI). RGI has created on-line educational solutions (available in both French and English), focusing squarely on issues of bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse and neglect of both children and adults.
RGI PROGRAMS INCLUDE: Respect in Sport for Coaches and Activity Leaders Respect in Sport for Parents Respect in the Workplace Respect in School With respect as the foundation for all positive relationships in the sporting community, the workplace, at school, or at home, each program was created to assist individuals to use positive behaviours and to identify, and if need be, report, negative behaviours. Each interactive online program focuses, first and foremost, on the misuse of power and authority. Every form of maltreatment: abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination, and neglect are the result of an imbalance of power. Even if the role of authority is positional: coach, parent, manager, supervisor; or perceived: seniority, gender, race, education, experience, etc. RGI courses include valuable information about leadership styles, emotional and physical development, empowering the bystander, and knowing your moral and legal responsibilities in identifying and reporting incidents of abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination and neglect.
Sheldon’s voice and mission are being heard from coast to coast to coast with the help of RGI’s programs. Organizations large and small across the country are implementing Respect Group Programs. From the Thunder Bay Diving Club with five coaches, to Hockey Canada with tens of thousands of coaches, organizations are taking a strong leadership role and instilling the value of respect, across their organizations. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, all coaches regardless of the sport they are involved with, must complete the Respect in Sport Program. Four provinces have now made it mandatory for at least one parent from each hockey family, to complete the Respect in Sport, Parent Program. The Ontario Minor Hockey Association, the largest of Hockey Canada’s thirteen branches in Canada, will be implementing Respect in Sport programs across their organization for all coaches (already mandated), officials, volunteers and one parent per family, beginning with the 2014-2015 hockey season. Recent examples with soccer in Ontario including a parent brawl on the sidelines, and an incident where two fathers from the same team squared off on the sidelines, resulting in one of the Dad’s requiring hospital treatment and the other charged with Assault Causing Bodily Harm, underscores the need for something to be done in regards to inappropriate parental behavior. We must remember it’s a game for kids, and put the fun back in sport. In a tragic incident on April 27th, 2013 a 46-year-old soccer official in Utah was punched in the face by a 17-year-old player over a disputed call. One week later, the official died. On August 6th of this year, the youth pleaded guilty to killing the official. The daughters of the official had previously pleaded with their father to give up officiating, as players have attacked him in the past.
The Respect in Sport Parent Program helps to make good parents better sport parents. It empowers the by-stander, so that everyone takes responsibility for the environment. Even the very best parents, will find pieces of good information within this one hour on-line program. Parents will benefit and more importantly their kids will benefit.
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A long serving coach who recently completed the Respect in Sport, Parent Program had this to say about the program:
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“I have been an instructor for the OMHA for 15 years now in the Coaching Development Stream, NCCP program as far as Hockey Canada goes. I was involved with all of the new/rollout material that has transpired over the last 15 years, including the launch of the PRS courses and have seen the evolution of that course up till now. Speaking for myself, there is a lot of GREAT stuff out there, but when I was going through the The Parent Program course it really made me reflect on my own “personal” parenting history. With all the training I have had over the years I thought I was doing a pretty good job, and I still think that. This course really puts things right to the forefront and makes You think. I could not help but reflect and wish I could go back and undo (so to speak) in areas that I know I could have handled differently. Let me put it to you this way, I am not only going to promote the heck out of this program and course, I will revisit the material so that I become well versed in the content material, as I plan on somehow incorporating the messages in my Coaching Development materials…”
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The Respect in School Program, is geared for all adults within the school environment, including teachers, school leaders, school bus drivers, caretakers, basically any adult who may come into contact with a student during the school day. This program clearly articulates to the adults, their responsibility in dealing with issues of abuse, bullying,
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harassment, discrimination, and neglect. In a CAMH study, 71% of teachers say they usually intervene with bullying problems; but only 25% of students say that teachers intervene. Somewhere, there’s a gap.
We have seen far too many situations here in Canada including Amanda Todd, Jamie Hubley and Rehtaeh Parsons where bullying has lead to suicide. The Respect in School Program helps the adults who are engaging with our kids, day in and day out to understand how critical their role is in addressing bullying, harassment and abuse. Respect in the Workplace, like the other RGI programs is built on a similar foundation of understanding power, empowering the bystander and creating a common platform for discussion. Organizations currently using the program include government, big business, manufacturing, law firms, Universities, police services, small business, small office environments. Wherever people come together in a workplace, regardless of education levels, environment, or culture, human interaction occurs. This program is designed to make good people better. It allows leadership to take a pro-active role, and demonstrate to staff that they take the issue of Respect in the Workplace seriously, and care about their people. I started this article by stating I had the privilege of serving the people of Ontario with the OPP for nearly 35 years. Having connected with the Respect Group Inc., I again felt very privileged to be invited to join the Respect Group as their Ontario Director, earlier this year. This has been an easy transition for me, as the culture of the Respect Group is all about helping and protecting people. CS If c o n tac t
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yo u a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n m o r e i n f o r m at i o n a b o u t
R e s p e c t G ro u p P ro g r a m s , p l e a s e f e e l f r e e to m e at m a l l e n @ r e s p e c tg ro u p i n c . c o m o r 705-300-2120.
i n f o r m at i o n m ay b e f o u n d at w w w . r e s p e c tg ro u p i n c . c o m .
Mark Allen O n ta r i o D i r e c to r R e s p e c t G ro u p I n c .
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S
ocial media can play a tragic and life-changing role in sexual violence. Whether it involves teenagers sharing nude photos of a classmate, posting sexual accusations or gossip online, texting threats to an ex-girlfriend, or recording sexual assault incidents
and distributing them electronically—each of these cases are very real and has lasting consequences. Take, for instance, the high profile case of Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons, who took her own life after photos of her alleged gang rape were distributed electronically.
Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO), in partnership with the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, recently released a research report into this complex issue. The report is titled Sexual Violence, Social Media and Youth. The research examines the impact of social media on youth in sexual violence situations. Conducted by Jordan Fairbairn (PhD candidate), Dr. Rena Bivens and Dr. Myrna Dawson, it takes a community-based approach to examining the problem and its impact on victims and survivors.
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THE RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT: Little is known about the sexual nature of online abuse and harassment. A majority of sexual violence associated with social media goes unreported. Abusive relationship patterns may be facilitated or maintained through social media. Young women and girls appear to experience higher rates of sexual violence associated with social media.
THEY ALSO IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING PRIORITIES FOR THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA: • We need to understand what is unique about social media while recognizing that it does not cause sexual violence. • We must support and build media literacy among children, teenagers and their parents. • We need to encourage youth and parents to define and develop healthy relationships in social media contexts. • We should draw from programs that educate and engage bystanders to prevent sexual violence. • We need to develop youth-driven programming that recognizes the different ways in which young people use and experience social media. CS C r i m e P r e v e n t i o n O t tawa , i n OCTEVAW h e l d
c o l l a b o r at i o n w i t h
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The Caldwell Family Centre opened its do ors in June 1986 as a result of requests from the community.
B
ut the story didn’t begin there. During a convalescence for illness, Sacred Heart Sister Thelma Marion was approached by two women living in her Caldwell Avenue neighbourhood. The women were concerned about a disturbing letter parents had received about children attending Caldwell area schools. Malnutrition, the letter said, was affecting their children’s school work. Intending to find out more about the situation Sr. Thelma put together a small discussion group of five women who soon unearthed information about needs in the community that went well beyond nutrition.
In order to know where you’re going, you need to know where you came from.
Little by little Sr. Thelma’s residence was transformed into a community relief centre. With the assistance of the Roman Catholic parishes of St. Bonaventure and St. Elizabeth the local community managed for a short time to meet the needs of residents for food and clothing. Sr. Thelma also began morning cooking classes in a near-by community centre using recipes that were both economical and nutritious and every participant left with a dish for the evening meal. The classes continued for four years. In 1985 the City needed the space in the community centre and the classes came to an end. Also, the requests for food and clothing were escalating and it had become apparent that a more substantial and permanent base was necessary. Sr. Thelma began a dialogue with City of Ottawa community housing representatives around securing a garden home to house the services that were needed in the neighbourhood. After many meetings she finally obtained Unit 20 at 1100 Medford Street, and Caldwell Family Centre (CFC) officially opened in June 1986.
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Out of necessity Caldwell Family Centre expanded quickly. An emergency food bank was organized and arrangements were made with the Ottawa Food Bank to stock the CFC food bank. Churches of all dominations were also asked if they would adopt the Centre and financially support the purchase of other essential products. A day program was established to support area residents who were needed support because of illness or inability to find employment.
LINC classes, along with a childcare program for LINC students who have children, and an ESL Sewing Class are a part of CFC’s core programming. The Emergency Food Bank serves a high volume of clients four days a week; the Day Program continues to be a major support for area residents; an After-Four Homework Club runs during the weekdays of the school year; and a Community Kitchen provides an opportunity for people to socialize while sharing and cooking low-cost recipes. A new CFC Senior’s Centre in Bellevue a few hundred yards away has opened the door to opportunities for workshops in partnership with other service providers and health professionals. And lastly, a face lift for the upstairs offices at 1100 Medford St. was completed in 2011–new floors and freshly painted walls.
OUR MISSION
And soon after a program was established to help adult new Canadians learn English and adapt to a new environment. In 1998 an extension–now the computer room–was added to provide a smoking area for the day program clients.
The Mission of the Caldwell Family Centre is to provide services which feed and nurture physical and emotional wellness and to empower people who face poverty, mental illness, cultural and social isolation to reach their greatest potential.
Since the founding stages in the mid-1980’s there have been many more expansions in programs and services, some rooted in the CFC’s early history and others new ventures that are responses to changing community needs. ESL and
OUR VISION
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The Vision of the Caldwell Family Centre is a strong, healthy, safe, self-sustaining community where the residents are
confident, empowered and independent; where those who have need for food, companionship, housing, education, or knowledge are provided for in a coordinated fashion with dignity and responsiveness.
OUR VALUES We value empowering the people we serve by respecting their human dignity and rights and by welcoming them into a nonjudgmental, caring, clean and supportive environment. We value modeling behaviour and practice that clients can take back to their families and community and feel safe and secure in their homes.
We value financial security and responsible stewardship of the resources and time provided by our donors, funders, volunteers and employees in furthering the aims of our organization. CS F o r m o r e i n f o r m at i o n o n t h e T h e C a l d w e l l F a m i ly C e n t r e a n d i t s a n n ua l b a n q u e t a n d c h a r i t y au c t i o n
P l e a s e C o n tac t : T h e C a l d w e l l F a m i ly C e n t r e 110 0 M e d f o r d S t , U n i t s 20 -22 O t tawa , O n ta r i o K1Z 8L 5 P h o n e : 613-728-18 0 0 w w w . c a l d w e l l fa m i lyc e n t r e . c a
We value the ability to access resources and provide programs to meet the changing needs of the community. We are committed to being responsive to these changing needs, often by working collaboratively with other organizations to provided needed services to our clients.
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“Cyber-bullying” is described as “the use of the internet, cell phones, texting and other technologies to send cruel, untrue, or hurtful messages about someone or to someone that causes harm” (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2009).
By Suzanne McLeod, BA, MA, PhD Candidate, Curriculum Developer
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Cyber-bullies use emails, webcams, text messages, chat rooms, camera phones, blogs, websites, etc. to spread derogatory, insulting, excluding or threatening messages and/or images. Most bullying occurs between the ages 13 and 14 then usually decreases around ages 15 to 16. This includes both perpetrators and victims (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2009). Social media sites, such as Facebook, mySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr, Messenger and cell phone texting, have become a large part of the way
in which youth today communicate and socialize (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2006). From this, cyberbullying has become an increasing reality among adolescents. Research shows that youth who have been bullied are at a higher risk for suicide ideation and thoughts, attempts and completed suicides. Bullying contributes to depression, decreased selfworth, hopelessness and loneliness (Hinduja, Patchin, n.d.). Those who become “cyber-bullies” feel that they are able to remain anonymous, giving them a sense of power and control that allows them to do and say things they would not normally say in the “real world.” In cyberspace, literally hundreds of perpetrators can get involved in the abuse (Hinduja, Patchin, n.d.). Youth who are the victims experience the same feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness as if they were being bullied face-to-face. Because of the pervasive nature of the internet and cell phones, it is harder than ever for victims to escape their tormentors. It can happen anywhere—at home, at school, at anytime of the day or night (Brown,
Cassidy, Jackson, 2006). In extreme cases, victims have been known to become aggressive and fight back, or to become depressed and attempt suicide. Youth who have experienced cyber-bullying were almost twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who had not. (Hinduja, Patchin, n.d.). Adults do not always understand the seriousness of cyber-bullying. Research shows that 99% of teens use the internet on a regular basis, and 74% of girls aged 12-18 spend more time on chat rooms or sending text messages than doing homework (Shariff, 2005). One study shows that only 10% of parents believe their children have been bullied online, while 40% of kids reported they had been victims (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2009). The consequences can be psychologically and socially devastating as kids do not always know who their abusers are. At an age when peer acceptance is crucial, the internet becomes the perfect medium for adolescent anxieties to play themselves out, sometimes resulting in suicide attempts or loss of a child (Shariff, 2005).
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Adolescents do not always recognize the legal consequences of cyber-bullying. Between 46- 50% of youth mistakenly feel that they have the right to say anything through social media because of freedom of expression. This belief in limitless boundaries could lead some to exceed typical legal behaviour under the Canadian Criminal Code and/or Human Rights Act. (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2009)
Professionals recommend the following, in relation to cyberbullying: (Hinduja, Patchin, n.d.; Stop Cyberbullying, n.d.)
Suggestions for Solutions to Cyber-bullying The following suggestions are provided in regards to cyberbullying, in schools and at home: (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2009.; Stop Cyberbullying, n.d.)
• Develop programs to educate students about cyberbullying and its effects. • Set up an anonymous phone line that students can report on cyber-bullying. • Have a zero tolerance policy towards cyber-bullying. • Bring parents, students and school staff together to talk about solutions. • Develop a positive school culture where students learn to be kind to each other. • Offer multiple extra-curricular activities so students will not have the time to cyber-bully. • Work on creating self-esteem in students. • If someone sends a mean or threatening message, don’t respond. Show it to an adult. • Never open emails from someone you don’t know or from someone you know who is a bully. • Don’t send messages when you are angry. Before hitting “send” ask yourself how you would feel if you received the message. • Help other kids who are bullied online by not joining in and showing bullying message to an adult.
• Monitor the online and offline behaviours of youth. • Implement a suicide prevention and intervention component into any antibullying program. • Ensure any awareness or education program is ageappropriate; all students must be able to understand the serious consequences of cyberbullying. • Even though suicide is an extreme response, educators must ensure that youth recognize the reality and harm that cyber-bullying can have. • Regularly go over your child’s “buddy list” with them. Ask who each person is and how your children know him or her. • Discuss cyber-bullying with your child and ask if they have ever experienced it or seen it happen to someone. • Tell your child you won’t blame them if they are cyberbullied. Emphasize that you won’t take away their computer privileges (this is the main reason why kids don’t tell adults when they are cyber-bullied).
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In Canada, cyber-bullying can be addressed under civil law or criminal law. Under civil law, a person can be charged with defamation (slander or libel); under criminal law, a person can face harassment charges or defamatory libel. Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, freedom of expression is guaranteed “subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society” (Cyberbullying and the Law, n.d.) CS
ONLINE SOURCES
Be WebAware - Cyberbullying www.bewebaware.ca/english/cyberbullying.html Bullying Canada www.bullyingcanada.ca Bully Free Alberta www. bullyfreealberta.ca/cyber_bullying.htm Be Free www.b-free.ca Cyberbullying www.cyberbullying.org
BIBLIOGRAPHY Brown, K., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2006). Cyber-bullying: Developing policy to direct responses that are equitable and effective in addressing this special form of bullying. Canadian Journal of Educational Administrationand Policy, 57. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from http://umanitoba.ca/publications/cjeap/articles/brown_jackson_cassidy.html Brown, K., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2009). You were born ugly and youl die ugly too: Cyber-bullying as relational aggression. Education Journal: Special Issue on Technology and Social Media, Part I, 15(2). Retrieved September 20, 2011 from http://ineducation.ca/ article/youwere-born-ugly-and-youl-die-ugly-toocyber-bullying-relational-aggression Cyberbullying and the Law Fact Sheet. (n.d.) Retrieved September 27, 2011 from http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teaching_backgrounders/cyberbullying/ cyberbullying_law2_h4.cfm Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. (n.d.). Cyberbullying Research Summary: Cyberbullying and Suicide. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from http://www.cyberbullying.us / cyberbul lying_and_ sui c ide_research_fact_sheet.pdf Secret Life of Kids Online: What You Need to Know (2011). Retrieved September 20, 2011 from http://www.parenting.com/article/kids-socialnetworking Shariff, S. (2005). Cyber-Dilemmas in the New Millennium: School Obligations to Provide Student Safety in a Virtual School Environment. McGill Journal of Education, 40(3), 457-477. Stop Cyberbullying: Project Safe Childhood (n.d.). U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved September 27, 2011 from http://www.justice.gov/ usao/ma/childexploitation/psc/Stop%20Cyberbullying.pdf
Centre for Suicide Prevention #320, 105 12 A v e n u e SE C a lg a r y , AB T2G 1A1 P h o n e : (403) 245-3900 F a x : (403) 245-0299 Email: csp@suicideinfo.ca Website: suicideinfo.ca C o n t e n t d e r i v e d f ro m C e n t r e f o r S u i c i d e P r e v e n t i o n ’ s Straight Talk: Youth Suicide P r e v e n t i o n W o r k b o o k , © C o p y r i g h t 2011
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Young adolescence has been identified as a period of high risk for the development of body image concerns and disordered eating because of the common stressors that girls face, such as normal increases in weight and fat associated with puberty, increased importance of peer acceptance and changes in academic and social expectations. Increasingly, body image and eating problems are being seen in younger school children.
NEW TRENDS IN PRIMARY PREVENTION
A
recent trend in the primary prevention of these concerns involves adopting health promotion programs designed to promote overall wellness, and alter some of the predisposing risk factors (e.g., low self-esteem) related to disordered eating. This approach contrasts the traditional health education approach of teaching adolescents the defining characteristics, behaviours and dangers associated with eating disorders. Given the potentially adverse effects of health education strategies, researchers in the field underscore the need for safe and effective approaches for the prevention of eating problems in children and adolescents. In order to prevent harm, has been suggested that school-based education programs should change their focus from highlighting negative, problem-based issues (e.g., glamorization of eating disorders, suggestive information about weight control techniques, negative language around food messages). Rather, their focus should turn to helping young people enjoy healthy, active lifestyles without developing a fear of food, and to build self-esteem. In this way, universal prevention may address a number of issues, such as self- esteem, media literacy, healthy eating, and active living. An advantage to using the self-esteem approach is that it can have a positive effect on other health-related outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, sexual risk-taking, substance abuse, obesity).
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THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS To date, most of the prevention work has been conducted with female youth. The need to develop comprehensive programs that target multiple factors has been emphasized. For example, the inclusion of males in prevention has potential benefits. First, the health promotion messages may help to protect male adolescents from body image concerns and unhealthy eating and physical activity practices. Second, sensitizing male students to the pressures that female students face, and instituting school policies to reduce or eliminate harassment and weight and shape teasing, might help to create a healthier and more positive environment for female youth. This is especially noteworthy given the research evidence that suggests that boys are more likely than girls to initiate weight-based teasing and harassment of other children. Addressing the negative impact of harassment and weightbased teasing with boys in single-sex sessions and helping them develop more equitable life skills is an initiative which warrants further investigation. Parents, teachers, school support staff and coaches should also be included in school-based interventions, given their important roles in young people’s social environment. It is important that everyone understand their own beliefs and behaviours regarding weight, food and dieting, so that a comprehensive approach towards healthy eating and active living can be obtained.
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SCHOOLS AS SITES OF PREVENTION Schools are an important arena for health promotion and prevention efforts. Ideally, preventive intervention would be implemented in a stepped fashion, i.e. elementary through high school, matching the prevention level to the developmental level of students. For example, in Kindergarten through grade 4, the focus could be on raising awareness with parents, teachers, and school support staff about their own beliefs and behaviours with respect to dieting and slimness, as well as creating a school climate that fosters over-all child health. Health promotion would be introduced with students as early as grade 4 and continue throughout high school, e.g., booster sessions, incorporating the prevention material into the school curriculum across various topics. In addition, peer support groups would be offered to students approaching the high-risk period of early adolescence (grades 5-7) to help them combat weight and shape teasing and peer pressures to diet. Given the higher prevalence of disordered eating among high school students, selective or targeted intervention strategies could be implemented with students who exhibit early symptoms of an eating disorder. The support groups and interventions could be facilitated by trained school support personnel or public health nurses with direct referrals to specialized health services in the community.
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COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES TO PREVENTION In addition to serving as a place for universal prevention, the school setting is also suitable for the delivery of targeted prevention programs for students at risk. It has previously been reported that most adolescents with eating disorder symptoms do not seek treatment until it is medically necessary. The school setting however, has the advantage of providing specialized care to students who may otherwise not seek treatment for their eating disorder symptoms. In addition to being available in an accessible and familiar environment, a school-based targeted program may reach students before their eating disorder symptoms worsen or may even motivate them to seek professional treatment. Motivation and readiness to change have been identified as key factors in the successful treatment of adolescent eating disorders. It has been recognized that some students may prefer not to attend such school-based programs, given that this ‘singling out’ makes them more vulnerable to an environment already riddled with peer pressures and teasing. However, the study of the school setting as a potential environment for more targeted prevention should not be abandoned, especially given its positive effect on eating disordered behaviours, as demonstrated in the literature. In a truly comprehensive approach, where the entire school environment is offered differing levels of prevention to promote self and size acceptance, the hope is that all students, including those at higher risk, will become more comfortable approaching their school staff for help.
A comprehensive approach also includes the implementation of school-wide policies such as: (a) sensitizing teachers and school support staff about the genetic influences of weight and shape, the common factors that influence body image and eating behavior, e.g., physical changes in puberty, as well as their own beliefs and behaviours with respect to dieting, self-esteem, slenderness and weight, (b) reducing or eliminating weight and shape teasing and sexual harassment, (c) discouraging starve-a-thons as fundraising techniques, (d) providing opportunities for healthy eating at school, e.g., a wide variety of food choices, (e) discouraging lunch-room talk that promotes unhealthy eating, and (f) replacing fat-caliper testing and group weigh-ins with the promotion of physical activity that is inclusive to students of all sizes and shapes. It is crucial to work with governments to incorporate evidencebased practices of prevention into the school curriculum. In fact, integrating broad-based prevention strategies in the field of eating disorders with other adolescent health concerns such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers, is an innovative way to address health concerns of adolescents as well as capitalize on the available resources, e.g., the limited time of teachers. In particular, there is a current debate in the literature regarding how best to integrate eating disorder and obesity prevention work. For example, current concerns about childhood obesity have increased the focus on the importance of teaching youth about healthy eating and active living. However, advice about
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WHAT, THEN, DO WE KNOW?
what to eat to stay healthy can increase girls’ preoccupation with foods and serve to undermine their own control and confidence about eating. Similarly, advice about physical activity can lead some girls to engage in excessive exercise, particularly if they are going through the early adolescent period of high-risk for body image concerns and disordered eating. The development of health promotion programs designed to prevent obesity, without promoting weight and shape preoccupation in children, will require further collaboration among stakeholders who work with youth.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS AND EDUCATORS Parents and educators can help reduce weight and shape preoccupation by (a) reflecting on what messages they might be sending to youth, e.g., Am I a person who goes on diets? Do I think overweight people are out of control?, (b) providing support during the time of normal physical and psychological pubertal changes, (c) including all children in sports and physical activities regardless of their weight and shape, and (d) helping children combat weight and shape teasing. Addressing these issues with parents and educators can be extended to all appearance based teasing in a similar way that enhancing self-esteem in young adolescents can address a number of high-risk behaviours.
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While the study of the prevention of body image problems and disordered eating is still relatively new, there have been promising results. Universal prevention, specifically those models using a life skills, participatory approach, has been successful in changing the attitudes and knowledge around body image, size acceptance, media literacy, and disordered eating in children and young adolescents. Its effect on eating behaviours in the long-term are less clear and require further investigation. Targeted prevention in the school setting, however, has been successful in altering disordered eating behaviours in those at higher risk. Given the complexity of issues involved in developing body image concerns and disordered eating, it is likely that a model of prevention will be equally as complex. This model will include a comprehensive approach that encompasses the entire school climate (i.e. all students, teachers, school-support staff), and offers prevention materials specific to the developmental and symptom level of the students. CS Š NEDIC 2003
www.nedic.ca
N at i o n a l E at i n g D i s o r d e r I n f o r m at i o n C e n t r e 200 E l i z a b e t h S t . 7ES-421, T o ro n to , ON M5G 2C4 www.nedic.ca