Building Partnerships to Address Bullying Problems

CIPB Foundation The Canadian Initiative for the Prevention of Bullying began with a 3-year grant from the National Crime Prevention Strategy. Led by Drs. Debra Pepler, Wendy Craig, Shelley Hymel and Michel Boivin, the CIPB established, and piloted a partnership model of researchers collaborating with NGOs and gov’ts.to address the issues of bullying and victimization Initiate knowledge transfer and exchange through collaboration and the CIPB website.

CIPB Vision  Bring researchers together with NGOs and governments to promote safe and healthy relationships for all Canadian children and youth.  Create socio-cultural change in Canada by reducing the negative use of power and aggression in relationships.  Provide partners with the capacity to tailor and disseminate scientifically-based resources to build awareness, change attitudes, assess bullying, implement evidenced-based strategies, and develop policies that support and promote positive change.

The CIPB Partnership Model The Partnership Model involves the collaboration of two groups: o Currently 23 researchers from 17 Canadian universities studying the nature, causes, and consequences of bullying and victimization, along with the most effective measures and interventions to effect positive change o Stakeholders in promoting healthy development of Canadian children and youth: 34 national NGOs and other organizations currently involved

CIPB Partnership Purpose To address growing common concerns of Canadians regarding the serious implications of bullying and victimization. To link the researchers with NGOs/ governments working with Canadian children and youth To develop and transfer a common language, based on research for education, assessment, intervention and policy development to national NGO’s and governments

CIPB Four Pillars Framework Building on a research foundation, the CIPB framework comprises 4 integrated pillars to promote safe, healthy relationships for all Canadian children and youth: 1.Education Pillar: in collaboration with youth organizations, develops awareness and understanding to address bullying problems. 2.Assessment Pillar: provides validated assessment tools to determine bullying problems, and to verify that efforts to reduce bullying are effective.

CIPB Four Pillars cont’d. 3.Intervention Pillar: provides a guide to effective approaches and programs to reduce bullying among Canadian children and youth. 4.Policy Pillar: facilitates the development of policies for schools, organizations and governments that address bullying and victimization among Canadian children and youth.

CIPB Guiding Principles All CIPB principles, messages and tools are grounded within a positive youth development model. The underlying core belief is that all children and youth have strengths and the capacity for positive development. The CIPB focus is on supporting children and youth to move away from troubled pathways to positive, healthy relationships: * Bullying is a relationship problem. * Relationship problems require relationship solutions. * Bullying interventions require developmental and systemic approaches. * Bullying is a community problem, not just a school problem. * Adults are essential for children’s healthy relationships.

Bullying is a Relationship Problem Bullying is a relationship problem in which an individual or group uses power aggressively to cause distress to another. The relationship problems of bullying unfold over time and the dynamics of bullying contribute to the consolidation of roles children play in bullying. The CIPB focus on bullying goes beyond the child to consider the child within the context. With this perspective, children are not labeled or stigmatized as “bullies” or “victims”.

Relationship Problems Require Relationship Solutions Interventions are required to disrupt the repeated interactions, so that children can move out of their consolidated roles in bullying. Children who bully require positive-teaching, rather than punitive consequences – interventions that not only provide a clear message that bullying is unacceptable, but also build awareness, skills, empathy, and insights to provide youth with alternative behaviours to bullying. Children being victimized require safety and support to develop positive connections with peers. To promote positive relationships, everyone involved in bullying: perpetrators, victims and bystanders must be included in interventions.

Bullying Requires Developmental and Systemic Approaches Bullying occurs throughout the lifespan. The nature of bullying changes with the ages and stages of children and adolescents, but bullying occurs at all ages. The negative use of power and aggression learned in playground bullying can transfer to sexual harassment, dating aggression, and may extend to workplace harassment, as well as marital, child, and elder abuse. Interventions should begin early and must be in tune with children’s different needs and capacities that vary by age, gender, skills and background. Problems associated with bullying extend beyond the individual who bullies and the individual who is victimized – to peers, families, schools, neighbourhoods, and larger community contexts.

Bullying is a Community Problem, Not Just a School Problem Bullying is a community problem because bullying occurs in all environments where individuals congregate to work, play and learn. As the primary institution and a major socialization force in children’s lives, schools play a leadership role in addressing bullying problems. In efforts to reduce bullying, schools need the support and involvement of all systems in children’s lives: at home, in sports, in recreation centres, and in the neighbourhood. By providing consistency across systems in the messages, responses and support to address bullying problems, we can promote healthy relationships for all children in Canada.

Adults Are Essential for Children’s Healthy Relationships Adults are responsible for creating positive environments that promote children’s capabilities for healthy relationships. They are also responsible for minimizing negative contexts in environments where bullying and other negative peer interactions can flourish. By observing the interpersonal dynamics in children’s lives, adults can construct social experiences in ways that protect and support children developing positive relationship capacity and minimize the likelihood of bullying and harassment. All adults are models for children and must lead by example and refrain from using their power aggressively

Powerful Partnership Model: For Researchers Provide a multi-disciplinary Canadian perspective Identifying risk factors, relationship difficulties and outcomes for children of all ages in all contexts will inform the design of responsive, evidence-based prevention programs Collaboration with NGOs will enhance the practical knowledge that researchers can work with and customize for particular agencies and their constituencies Bridging the gaps between science and practice

Powerful Partnership Model: For NGO’s, gov’ts. Collaborating with research partners to build capacity to develop and disseminate empirically-based resources for their constituencies that are tailored to their particular needs Build a comprehensive and unified monitoring system with validated intervention and prevention strategies Participate in a supportive, multi-sectoral, collective effort to understand and support the healthy social development of all Canadian children and youth

Examples of CIPB Partnerships: CPRA CIPB Research Team collaborated in strategic planning session with CPRA to identify needs, capacities and the necessary resources to address bullying problems in recreational settings across Canada Based on that collaborative exercise, CIPB drafted a set of plain language pamphlets to develop understanding and effective intervention strategies for recreation counsellors CIPB Research Team are collaborating with CPRA on their M.A.R.S.program

Examples of CIPB partnerships: Kids Help Phone CIPB Research Team collaborated on a needs assessment requested by KHP CIPB, in collaboration with KHP has completed the first draft of a Bullying Training Module for all KHP counsellors, including a set of Flowcharts for counsellors to work through during calls, Risk Assessment Charts, Caller Assessment Tools, Definitions, sample letters for callers, resources for callers, materials for KHP bullying website, all materials created for different developmental and systemic concerns; CIPB Research Team will be providing on site training to all KHP staff in Toronto and Montreal

Examples of CIPB partnerships: Family Service Canada/FRP CIPB Research Team collaborated on a needs assessment with FSC and FRP CIPB Research Team has begun to design a menu of information tools for parents about bullying and victimization with developmentally appropriate knowledge and strategies for parents of children aged 0-5; 6-12; and 13-18

launched on Nov.14/05 during Bullying Awareness Weekwww.cipb.ca Designed as the authoritative link providing empirically based research and information for all audiences Developing Research Communiqués outlining current, published findings in an accessible format Provide access to new scientific information that is usually published in professional journals and not directly accessible to front-line workers or highlighted in the popular media

Research on Provides a multi-disciplinary Canadian perspective on bullying and victimization in the lives of children and youth from early childhood through adolescence. By identifying the risk factors, relationship difficulties, and outcomes that children and youth face across multiple developmental stages and contexts, we can inform the design of developmentally attuned, evidence-based prevention programs to be implemented before problems begin to emerge.

Research on Provide a focus on understanding the processes underlying bullying and victimization problems that are associated with behavioural, mental and physical, and school problems across several developmental stages. An understanding of the processes provides clear directions for primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention.

Research Communiqués Titles currently available on Bullying: an international issue Bullying Experiences for Sexual Minorities Bullying from Early to Late Adolescence Bullying in Canada How Peers Influence Bullying Observations of bullying in the playground and in the classroom Risk Factors Leading to Victimization Cyberbullying

Research to Practice Broaden researchers’ reach in collaborating with NGOs and government departments to educate, assess, develop interventions and policies based on empirical findings about bullying and victimization.

Research to Practice Focusing on bridging science and practice through knowledge transfer and developing social and health promotion initiatives for children and youth involved in bullying and victimization within their families, schools, and communities.

New Funding on the Horizon Early next week we will be able to announce our new funding source and our new name and mandate. Taking the next big step in an effective, comprehensive strategy for improved understanding and practice Enhance social capital, promote mental and physical health, healthy relationships, school engagement and crime prevention.

Conference Invitation “Addressing Bullying Through Partnerships: From Research to Practice” May 25-26/06 at Carleton University, Ottawa Opportunity to meet international and Canadian researchers including leaders in bullying work from Australia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland-international perspective/external scan May 25 – Research Day with international keynotes and multiple workshops by leading Canadian researchers May 26 – Open to practitioners, professionals working in the field Please be sure to sign list for further information and registration forms.

For further information: Please contact: Audrey Cole, CIPB National Coordinator 416/ Ext