Bullying prevention project reaches out to youth

Topics: Youth
August 08, 2013

Bullying prevention project reaches out to youth

The Canadian Red Cross is one of Canada's leading charity organizations, providing a range of domestic and international assistance programs for those in need. Whether a community in the Caribbean is putting the pieces back together after a major storm or citizens in Canada are pulling together in an effort to address youth violence, the Canadian Red Cross is there to provide resources, organizational support and a team of dedicated volunteers willing to lend a helping hand. The Canadian Red Cross has been an instrumental source of relief and education in numerous natural disasters, humanitarian crises, health emergencies and domestic development initiatives.

One area the Canadian Red Cross is particularly committed to is violence, bullying and abuse prevention against young people in Canada. Bullying prevention initiatives have been a cornerstone of the Canadian Red Cross' youth outreach efforts, as abuse can come from a variety of sources for today's adolescents and teenagers. Between bullying at school, domestic violence at home or psychological harm from peers and romantic partners, many Canadian youth need an outlet to work toward better safety, health and happiness in their lives.

Government of Canada and Canadian Red Cross anti-bullying partnership
In one of its most recent youth violence, bullying and abuse prevention programs, the Canadian Red Cross re-affirmed its partnership with the Government of Canada on their ongoing bullying prevention education program. Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages the Honourable James Moore, Mrs. Laureen Harper and Ottawa City Councillor Allan Hubley all announced support of The Youth Take Charge - Stand Up to Bullying and Discrimination in Canadian Communities project.

The program will benefit from $250,000 in financial support provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage's Youth Take Charge initiative. The Youth Take Charge - Stand Up to Bullying and Discrimination in Canadian Communities campaign will involve more than 50,000 Canadian young people becoming educated to address the problems caused by bullying, harassment and violence against youth.

"Bullying is a serious concern for many youth and their families, and we think it's important to invest in a project that focuses on preventing it," said Minister Moore. "This will be a great opportunity for young people to become leaders in their schools, organizations and communities, and to play a meaningful role in ensuring safer environments for themselves and their peers."

Bullying prevention efforts in action
The Canadian Red Cross will recruit 2,400 young people between ages 13 and 17 to become bullying prevention Youth Facilitators. Volunteers will undergo extensive training on bullying prevention in order to provide educational workshops and other prevention activities. Each of the Youth Facilitators will be asked to commit to educate at least 20 other peers or younger youth in their schools, organizations or local communities.

The second component of the Youth Take Charge - Stand Up to Bullying and Discrimination in Canadian Communities project involves three youth-led symposia in British Columbia, Ontario and the Atlantic region designed to build leadership skills and knowledge regarding bullying and discrimination. The Canadian Red Cross aims to train and engage 150 young people to become youth leaders and advocates to prevent bullying and discrimination through these three forums.

"The Red Cross has been working for many years in Canada to engage youth and harness their leadership to prevent bullying and harassment," said Conrad Sauvé, secretary general and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross. "This project leverages the collective strength, skills and abilities of our youth to broaden the reach of our message about bullying prevention and discrimination."

If you would like to support the Youth Take Charge - Stand Up to Bullying and Discrimination in Canadian Communities' efforts to reduce the impact of bullying against Canadian youth, please donate to the Canadian Red Cross today.

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