Canadian Heritage funds Canadian Red Cross bullying prevention work
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That is the message the Canadian Red Cross program called RespectED: Violence & Abuse Prevention sends to youth and the adults who care for them. RespectED partners with schools and other youth-serving organizations to put an end to bullying and harassment through its Beyond the Hurt resource.
Developed by the Canadian Red Cross based on decades of violence prevention experience, Beyond the Hurt places ownership of the solution to bullying where it belongs: with youth and with their schools. Research shows that young people will more easily accept information about stopping bullying from someone at or near their own age. In addition, youth need safe, confidential ways to report bullying. Finally, schools need the training and the procedures to deal effectively with any incidences of bullying. That is why the Canadian Red Cross program works closely with schools to provide the training and support they need to put bullying and harassment policies and education firmly in place within their own unique school environment.
Youth are trained as Youth Facilitators who visit different classes and use Canadian Red Cross tools to teach peers and younger students about bullying—what it is, why it needs to stop, and how to make it stop. A central message is the power of bystanders to stop bullying episodes: when bystanders intervene, 57% of the time the bullying stops in 10 seconds or less.
The power of youth to stop bullying, and the way the Canadian Red Cross program empowers youth to understand this, are the reasons the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, funded Beyond the Hurt through the Youth Take Charge initiative. The Canadian Red Cross RespectED program is grateful to the Department of Canadian Heritage for generously funding translation and delivery of Beyond the Hurt bullying prevention education. This funding means that more schools will become safer for their students in locations across Canada. Delivery of the Beyond the Hurt bullying prevention will begin this year in Quebec for the very first time.
