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PREVNet (Canada)

The Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network (PREVNet) is a Canadian network that raises awareness on bullying as well as cyberbullying and reinforces healthy ways to prevent it. PREVNet was founded by Dr. Debra Pepler and Dr. Wendy Craig in 2006 and brings together 130 of Canada's research scientists and youth organizations in order to make a difference on how individuals react to bullying.

The organization collaborates with industry, federal and provincial agencies, and NGOs, along with other organizations, to reach a larger audience of Canadian children to spread their message about bullying nationwide. .

Through education, assessment, intervention and policy, PREVNet states that children can learn how to stop bullying and become active citizens in combatting bullying as well. PREVNet also provides various manuals, toolkits, pocket guides, as well as computer games for children, parents, and teachers to access to further educate themselves on the issues of bullying to become aware of the problems and offer solutions. With a high percentage of Canadian students experiencing bullying, PREVNet’s researchers use evidence gathered from participants to assess the problems that students face and use facts to propose solutions, while adding what students can do about bullying.

Furthermore, PREVNet assesses the concerns of bullying in relation to the mental health of students and the possible outcomes students may face when being subjected to bullying and those who are executing the bullying as well.

PREVNet states that the way to prevent bullying for youth and children is to progress the exercises of all adults who are accountable for children  and create healthy and safe relationships for youth and children. Along with this, Pepler also notes that adults play major roles in shaping the socialization of children considering adults function as teachers, role models, guides and mentors to youth and young children.

PREVNet also aims to make their resources as accessible as possible to youth across Canada through campaigns such as the Stand Up! Campaign and the #SpreadKindness Campaign. Along with this, resources such as the CyberGuard website was created to be accessible to people all around the world, and the public can also access PREVNet’s blog to gain more information on bullying prevention.

PREVNet Founders
PREVNet was founded and created by Dr. Debra Pepler and Dr. Wendy Craig with the intent to change attitudes and assess bullying issues while using strategies based on evidence to create awareness.

Dr. Debra Pepler
Dr. Debra Pepler is currently a professor in the Faculty of Health at York University in the Department of Psychology and her focuses include studies on Adolescences, Children, Family and Youth. In Ontario, Canada, Pepler is also a registered psychologist and holds degrees from various Canadian Universities such as Queen's University, Dalhousie University, and the University of Waterloo. From 1994 to 2002, Pepler was the director on the study of Violence and Conflict Resolution at the LaMarsh Centre for Research.

Dr. Wendy Craig
Dr. Wendy Craig is the department head of Psychology at Queen's University in Canada. Craig holds multiple degrees from York University as well as from the University of British Columbia. Craig's projects include research on cyberbullying and peer victimization, and understanding how different aspects of the biological, psychological, and social correspond.

PREVNet's 4 Stages of Bullying Prevention
PREVNet bases their techniques to prevent bullying on four stages: Education, Assessment, Intervention, and Policy, to protect the safety of children and encourage them to build healthier relationships with those around them.

Education
PREVNet says that becoming aware of bullying is the first step to change attitudes about it and start targeting the concern amongst Canadian children.

Assessment
PREVNet provides assessment tools to understand the level and nature of the bullying being experienced to determine which programs should be selected for the needs of an organization. This aims to target systemic issues around bullying.

Intervention
PREVNet develops scientifically effective strategies to target bullying and solve, or reduce, the issue. But to do so, this involves empirically-based guidelines for creating successful interventions.

PREVNet's Intervention strategies state that guidelines:

• Need to be research-based and “require ongoing evaluations”

• Must focus on the development of children and their relationships.

• Require leadership for promoting relationships over violence.

Policy
Prevention policies are then developed that precisely outline bullying and create steps that can be taken when the child experiences bullying. PREVNet says that bullying comes from problems in the relationship, and efficient policies must acknowledge the "roles and responsibilities of the person who is bullying, the person who is being bullied, as well as peers, adults and the community."

The Healthy Relationships Training Module (HRTM)
The Healthy Relationships Training Module was created through a Community of Practice along with PREVNet academic researchers, students and non-profit organizations to increase the organization’s ability to promote a safe, respectful and compassionate atmosphere for youth. Co-creators of the module include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and Scouts Canada with funding from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

The module was created for adults to gain the proper training needed to be able to effectively address the concerns of bullying and unhealthy relationships as well as how to fix them. The module also includes a facilitator's guide along with a slide presentation and guidebook for participants to use. Through the distribution of questionnaires and the feedback received from participants, PREVnet states that the guide was created through the evidence received and reworked to be accurate, as well as helpful for targeting bullying online and in the classroom while adding ways to stop it. PREVNet also mentions how the Healthy Relationships Training Module was designed for participatory, didactic and experiential learning and created the module with the intention to get youth involved in preventing bullying.

Bullying Prevention Toolkit
The Bullying Prevention Toolkit is offered by PREVNet to provide facts and tools for schools to use as anti-bullying resources and make sure that schools are safe spaces for children through the four stages of bullying prevention. The toolkit consists of fact sheets, checklists and tips for what children and adults can do in situations of bullying, such as intervening in aggressive interactions and what can be done for youth that are involved with bullying. Also, PREVNet states that the toolkit provides discussion questions for youth to think about, like how to differentiate playful teasing from bullying, so that children can draw their own conclusions when faced with similar situations of bullying.

Also, the toolkit is set up based on the questions that have been asked by youth in relation to bullying, and the solutions to fix those problems. The structure of the toolkit starts with a question or concern being asked by the child, which is then followed up by the fact sheet that answers the question being asked with real evidence. Afterwards, tools that are mentioned and provided within the toolkit help to resolve the conflict at hand along with implementing new strategies to find a reasonable solution to the problem.

Statistics of Bullying and Cyberbullying in Canada
According to PREVNet, 75 percent of individuals have experienced bullying along with more than half of Canadian students reporting that bullying is considered a problem in high schools. Canada also ranks with the 9th highest rate of bullying in schools out of a list containing 35 other countries.

Additionally, the statistics collected by Fairview Post and PREVNet state that 78 percent of Canadians believe that there is not enough being done to counteract bullying. PREVNet has gathered that peers are around for 90 percent of bullying incidents that occur and if peers take the time to intervene, incidents of bullying can be stopped in less than 10 seconds. In a survey conducted by the Canadian Red Cross in 2007, while surveying youth from the ages of 13 to 15 years of age, more than 70 percent had experienced cyberbullying as well as 44 percent of students experiencing being bullied at least once in their lives. Furthermore, in 2010, 49.5 percent of students in junior high school in Toronto, Canada had been cyberbullied and 89 percent of teachers stated that bullying and violence is a severe issue in public school systems, even if only 25 percent of students claim that teachers intervene in any bullying or violence that occurs.

Furthermore, along with many teenagers being victims of cyberbullying, around 80 percent of teenagers have been exposed to racist or sexist content while online as well. In relation to this, 38 percent of girls have been cyberbullied compared to 26 percent of boys. On the other hand, the number of males and females being cyberbullied increases for both girls and boys who have social media accounts to 39 percent, whereas, for those without social media accounts, the number stays at 22 percent. However, for those being cyberbullied on social media who identify with the LGBTQ community, the percentage is three times higher. Also, 89 percent of parents think that their children would come to them to address concerns of cyberbullying when statistics say that only 8 percent of children come forward to their parents when they are being cyberbullied to talk about the issue.

Youth Mental Health and Bullying
According to PREVNet, bullying can cause various social, physical and mental problems. Children who are bullied tend to suffer from stomachaches, headaches, depression and anxiety and are more likely to experience mental health problems related to bullying later on in their lives. Also, there is a higher risk of suicide present in youth that are subjected to bullying as well as those who have done the bullying themselves. Children who are bullied, and those who bully others, are also more likely to be absent from classes and miss school while showing very little interest in their education and therefore resulting in obtaining lower grades. Furthermore, youth who are responsible for bullying others are also more likely to use drugs, alcohol and be involved in criminal activity, while those being bullied are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, isolation and social anxiety. In relation to this, PREVNet also states that 60 percent of boys who habitually bullied other children in elementary school had acquired criminal records by the age of 24.

In one of Debra Pepler’s studies relating to mental health and bullying, Pepler states that 71 percent of children that have been known as bullies met the standards for psychiatric disorders and 50 percent of those that identified as the victims of bullies met the same standards for psychiatric disorders as well. In comparison, the percentage for those who were not involved in any form of bullying at all was only at 22 percent.

Also, without any form of prevention being implemented to youth, many children are more likely to bring their habits of bullying into their adolescence, and well into their adulthood, if no intervention is encountered. As bullying moves from childhood into adulthood, new forms of aggression occur. When developing social and thinking skills, children start to see the power relations between them and other’s weaknesses. In relation to this, bullying can further develop into verbal, homophobic, or even racial or sexually based aggressive behaviour, which the individual might bring into their future relationships. PREVNet also states if damaging behaviours are not stopped in childhood or early on, then the destructiveness in the power relation that bullies face may turn into sexual harassment, marital abuse, child abuse or dating violence.

By aiming to stop the behaviours of bullies in childhood, PREVNet states that identifying the problem early can stop aggressive attitudes from progressing and can improve the relationships, and communication of those causing the bullying and those being bullied as well.

Bullying and Human Rights
In the research conducted by PREVNet and the United Nations, many countries as well as several states in the United States, have anti-bullying legislations in place and when a child is victimized and being bullied, PREVNet and the UN categorize this as a breach of a child’s human rights.

In the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects the rights of children and states that “education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Furthermore, in Article 2 of the UN Convention written on the Rights of the Child, it states that children’s rights allow children protection from any form of discrimination faced based on the child’s status, actions, parents, or beliefs of the child’s parents. Also, in Article 19 of the declaration, while under the supervision and care of the child’s legal guardian, children are entitled to be protected from all and any form of mental and physical violence, neglect, injury or abuse.

PREVNet notes that through the act of bullying, others are repeatedly causing harm to the child being bullied and violating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well. Along with this, PREVNet encourages adults who are responsible for children to be aware of these human rights and protect children from the harm caused by bullying while properly educating and training them on how they should treat others in social environments.

PREVNet’s Stand Up! Campaign


The Family Channel and PREVNet's, Stand Up! campaign is a part of Bullying Awareness Week in Canada. PREVNet collaborates annually with the Family Channel to educate students about bullying and building healthy relationships with others. In the month of November for one whole week, the campaign consists of various shows and musical performances being aired to promote healthy ways to react to bullying.

The week also consists of various Family Channel stars speaking about topics such as cyberbullying and bullying prevention. Celebrities previously involved in the campaign during Bullying Awareness Week consist of Raven-Symoné, Nikki Yanofsky and Zendaya.

Also, PREVNet and Family Channel annually host a Stand Up! rally for schools to become more involved in the discussion of bullying in schools. The Stand Up! rally is a contest where students can enter their schools by stating what their school does to stand up to and prevent bullying. The four schools that win the contest become the hosts for each of the Stand Up! rallies and include visits from Family Channel stars, PREVNet representatives and a TELUS WISE ambassador. According to TELUS Communications, the TELUS WISE ambassadors host workshops about internet safety while attending rallies with PREVNet and various Family Channel stars to talk about forming healthy relationships and joining in on the conversation of preventing bullying in schools.

The #SpreadKindness Campaign
Launched on November 15, 2017, the #SpreadKindness campaign was created by PREVNet’s National Youth Advisory Committee (NYAC) and consists of 13 youth individuals from across Canada. These individuals, with interests in bullying prevention and encouraging healthy relationships, gather together to share their interests with others while thinking of methods to eliminate bullying.

Additionally, the National Youth Advisory Committee has launched projects, such as #SpreadKindness bracelets, to influence others to be people who support their peers in bullying prevention, and to show that spreading kindness can be as simple as standing by in rough times and being a supportive friend. The campaign also stretches onto Instagram as well and can be found through the username Spread Kindness Canada.

CyberGuard by PREVNet and Primus
In 2010, PREVNet and Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. created CyberGuard – Cyberbullying Truth, Tips and Tactics to aid in bullying prevention. CyberGuard – Cyberbullying Truth, Tips and Tactics is Canada's first e-learning program created to guide parents and youth on productive ways to face online bullying and further prevent it from happening.

The online program contains hands-on modules to generate conversation amongst children and adults. Also, activities for both parents and children are accessible to overcome myths of bullying and test the knowledge of what children should do in different situations of bullying as well.

Along with this, Dr. Wendy Craig states that the modules include various strategies to aid parents in facing the issues of cyberbullying and strengthening partnerships between children and adults. Craig mentions that although parents may not be fully equipped with the knowledge of social media, through CyberGuard, parents can obtain a greater understanding of cyberbullying, bullying and resolving conflict online. Through e-learning modules, parents and youth can develop social technological skills to interact positively with other individuals in the digital world.

The program is accessible through the Primus website at http://cyberbullying.primus.ca/.

PREVNet Canada's Impact
PREVNet has been involved with many different projects in the past to stop bullying in Provinces across Canada.

Québec
PREVNet has been in association with Les Grandes Recontres which launched in 2016. Les Grandes Recontres is a province-wide training program that spans over the course of three years for educators in children's schools. With the launch of Les Grandes Recontres, PREVNet states that 850 individuals and educators have been trained on bullying prevention with the intent to leave individuals with the ability to guide others on preventing bullying.

Alberta
In partnership with Alberta’s Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, schools in Alberta have adapted PREVNet’s Healthy Relationships Training Module along with new tools such as webinars to enhance the engagement with participants. In 2016-2017, 100 participants in Alberta were trained by PREVNet’s Healthy Relationships Training Module in Edmonton’s Public School District as well as others at the Calgary’s Board of Education Teacher’s Convention.

Ontario
In Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Education requested for PREVNet to generate the Bullying Prevention Toolkit to aid in bullying prevention. After the creation of the toolkit, the kit was distributed to all 5,000 schools in the province of Ontario which contains information on how to fully implement practices of obstructing bullying. The toolkit is available in both French and English as well and in 2017, while being funded by the Ministry of Education, PREVNet created 10 one hour workshops based on the toolkits provided for further training. Additionally, the Safe Schools Steering Committee from the Durham District School Board and the Safe School Department have taken the Bullying Prevention Toolkit and created a slideshow to easily deliver content and information to staff and other educators. The Safe School Steering Committee has trained and educated Safe School teams from 131 schools in their school Board.

Conferences
PREVNet offers annual conferences for adults to promote the well-being of children while educating those involved with youth such as mental health professionals, police, parents and educators with knowledge that is based on evidence to prevent bullying. The conferences also provide workshops for developing knowledge on genes and the developing brain of youth as well as on media and technology. The conferences exist to equip adults with concrete skills and tactics to aid in guiding children away from bullying and towards creating healthy relationships.

Partners
Some of the partners that PREVNet are associated with are:


 * UNICEF Canada
 * Public Health Agency of Canada
 * Canadian Psychological Association
 * Kids Help Phone
 * Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
 * Family Channel
 * Canadian Red Cross
 * MediaSmarts
 * Canadian Association of Social Workers
 * Girl Guides of Canada

External Links:
External links to PREVNet can be accessed below: PREVNet Official Website: http://www.prevnet.ca/

PREVNet Official Blog: http://www.prevnet.ca/blog

PREVNet Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/PREVNet

PREVNet Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PREVNet/

PREVNet Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prevnet/?hl=en

#SpreadKindness Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spreadkindnesscanada/

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