Police AssociAtion of novA scotiA 67 programs and strategies must address the needs and provide the necessary support for children who are victimized, children who bully others, and children who watch bullying occur. Myth: Canadians are “too nice” to bully. Fact: On the recent World Health Organization (WHO) Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HSBC) survey, Canada ranked a dismal 26th and 27th out of 35 countries on measures of bullying and victimization, respectively (Craig & Harel, 2004). Moreover, our position on the international stage has slipped relative to other countries. On the 1993/1994 survey, Canada’s ranking on the prevalence of bullying and victimization was relatively higher than in the 2001/2002 survey (King et al., 1996); however, the prevalence of bullying and victimization among Canadian students has remained relatively stable. The drop in Canada’s relative ranking in spite of stable rates, suggests that other countries have been preventing bullying problems more effectively than Canada. The high proportions of Canadian students who report bullying or being bullied confirm that this represents an important social problem for Canada. One of the reasons that Canada is ranked so poorly compared to other countries is our lack of a national campaign to address bullying problems. Solution: PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence) is a Networks Centre of Excellence – New Initiative. Launched in 2006, our vision is to stop bullying in Canada and to promote safe and healthy relationships for all Canadian children and youth. Led by scientific co-investigators, Dr. Debra Pepler of York University and Dr. Wendy Craig of Queen’s University, this national network is the first of its kind in Canada and provides an unprecedented opportunity for social innovation and social-cultural change. Myth: Reporting bullying will only make the problem worse. Fact: Given the power imbalance that exists between the child who bullies and the child who is victimized, it is incredibly difficult for children who are being victimized to remove themselves from this destructive relationship. They make numerous attempts to make the bullying stop on their own but these efforts are usually unsuccessful and may make the bullying worse. Adult intervention is required to correct the power imbalance. Children and parents may have to report the bullying to more than one person before the behaviour will stop. We do know that victimized children who told an adult about being bullied reported being less victimized the following year compared to children who did not report being bullied (Yuile, Pepler, & Craig, 2004). When no one talks about bullying, children who bully feel they can carry on without consequences. Secrecy empowers children who bully. Solution: Children need to be encouraged to report bullying and be given multiple strategies to make these reports. Adults must convey the message that they want to know about children’s experiences and that it is their job to make the bullying stop. Myth: Children who are victimized need to stand up and fight back. Fact: Encouraging children who are victimized to fight back may, in fact, makes the bullying interaction worse. We know that when children use aggressive strategies to manage bullying situations, they tend to experience prolonged and more severe bullying interactions as a result (Mahady Wilton, Craig, & Pepler, 2000). Solution: Children should be encouraged to be assertive, not aggressive, and to inform a trusted adult about what has happened to them. Myth: Bullying is a school problem. Fact: Bullying occurs wherever children gather to live, learn, or play. As such, the majority of bullying tends to occur in the classroom, on the school playground, and on the school bus where children are most often together. Although bullying tends to occur in school, we know that bullying is a Are Canadians too nice to Bully? Facts and Myths about Bullying ...continued continued...
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