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I encourage everyone to visit www.voicesforchildren.ca and download their February 2007 publication entitled, “Binoculars on bullying: A new solution to protect and connect children” by Dr. Debra Pepler of York University and Dr. Wendy Craig of Queen’s University. These researchers are internationally-renowned for their work on bullying and they also happen to be my colleagues.

Each time, I talk with them about bullying, I always learn something new. I hope you will as well.

The article discusses bullying in the context of relationships. Too often, we consider bullying as a set of behaviors that have little to do with relationships. Yet, the research is clear that the solution to bullying is relationship-based. The authors provide several strategies for adults to build healthy relationships with children and to prevent bullying. These strategies are appropriate for inclusion in adult education courses focused on positive guidance with young children.

• Protect children from bullying by giving them strategies to make friends in positive ways
• Turn children from negative into positive leaders
• Make a distinction between “telling an adult to get children into trouble” versus “telling an adult to get a child out of trouble”
• Structure groups to support pro-social networks
• Be a role model

To learn more about relationship-based solutions to bullying, see www.voicesforchildren.ca and the Canadian Initiative for the Prevention of Bullying www.cipb.ca

Contributed by Laurie McNelles �" Mothercraft

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