1. Bullying and Children’s Rights: It’s not Just about Safety Debra Pepler York University & The Hospital for Sick Children

2. Rights and Development Healthy development of children and youth depends on healthy relationships. Children learn by trial and error Aboriginal wisdom on child rearing: Honour children’s mistakes

3. Rights, Responsibilites, Development and Bullying Prevention Relationships are the “active ingredients” of the environment in which children grow up. Why and how do we promote healthy relationships for healthy development

4. Bullying A Relationship that Violates Rights Bullying is a relationship problem that requires relationship solutions: Those who bully are learning to use power aggressively to control and distress others Those who are victimized become trapped in an abusive relationship. Copyright PREVNet 2012 Do not copy without permission of author

5. What Fosters Development?

6. Nature and Nurture Children experience their world as an environment of relationships. Relationships are important throughout development Relationships affect all aspects of development – intellectual, social, emotional, physical, behavioral, and moral. Adults are responsible for the quality of children’s relationships

7. What is Developing under the Skin?

8. Relationships Matter for the Brain through Genes and Experiences The brain adapts with children’s experiences: If the child has positive experiences, the brain adapts positively for learning, memory, and regulation. If the child has stressful experiences, the brain adapts negatively, with too much or too little response to any stress. As the brain develops, the gene expression adapts as well, leading to further positive or negative brain development.

9. How are we doing in Canada in promoting healthy relationships for healthy development?

10. UNICEF, 2013

13. Why Worry About Bullying? Copyright PREVNet 2012 Do not copy without permission of author

14. BULLYING Dating Aggression Sexual Harassment Gang Aggression Marital Abuse Workplace Harassment Child Abuse Elder Abuse Developmental Pathway of Power and Aggression in Relationships

15. Copyright PREVNet 2008 Do not copy without permission of author Child’s or youth’s relationships with family, peers, adults, & community Child or youth’s needs, strengths, challenges © Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network, 2007 Binocular Perspective on Development

16. Strategies to Promote Healthy Relationships Self-Awareness Building Rapport Scaffolding Social Architecture Systems Change Copyright PREVNet 2008 Do not copy without permission of author

17. All Children have the Right To Dignity and To Be Safe! All children have the right to be respected and treated with dignity. All children have the right to be safe. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Education Legislation – principals and teachers have responsibilities to protect students Community organizations, including police are essential partners

18. Strategies for Building Healthy Relationships to Prevent Bullying Healthy relationships approaches require: Awareness of potential problems Catch problem EARLY; ongoing support Communication among adults, between students and adults, between home and school, etc. Support for the most vulnerable children and youth. Self-Awareness, Building Rapport, Scaffolding, Social Architecture, and Systems Change,

19. Why Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network in Canada? Healthy development depends on healthy relationships.

20. It Takes A Network to Raise a Child PREVNet’s mission is to promote healthy relationships and prevent bullying for all Canadian children and youth

21. PREVNet Promoting Healthy Relationships Developing the capacity for healthy relationships is essential. Relationship problems affect children’s development and have a long-term impact on families, communities, and society. Relationship problems can transfer to the next generation. Knowledge of the processes that shape development is crucial for prevention and intervention to promote healthy development, as well as human and social capital outcomes.

22. PREVNet Promoting Partnerships In partnerships, community organizations, police and schools can work to: – Put necessary developmental supports in place (scaffolding) – Organize peer experiences to reduce bullying and other antisocial behaviours (social architecture) – Develop community-wide prevention programs – Divert youth from troubled pathways

23. PREVNet Partners www.prevnet.ca

24. For Helping Bridge Research and Practice to Promote Healthy Relationships for All Children and Youth www.prevnet.ca THANK YOU!