Daring to care

Times Reporter 

 

High school. Junior high school. They can be terrifying words for some people. Every day can be a challenge to make it through. It’s the age where a lot of changes are happening and where a young person is starting to grow and figure out whom they are. It’s also a time when peer pressure and bullying can be at their worst.

Dwayne Peace, a former Calgary Police Service member and school police liaison is the life skills facilitator for the Dare to Care program. On Oct. 4 he was at Holy Cross Collegiate to speak with the Grade 8 to 12 students about different challenges they may be facing. Some of the challenges discussed included body image, eating disorders, bullying, suicide, bullycide, texting, sexting, cutting, burning, and self-harm.

“Most kids, I would say 80-90 per cent say that it’s life-changing and that’s not something that I take lightly so I challenge them on that and it just changes the perspective on the way that they look at other people, the way they treat others and the way they allow others to treat them,” said Peace.

“For suicide you want to know how powerful it is, in 2009-2010 I had 49 students come up to me in regards to suicide that nobody had any idea about. Last year I had 23. So far this year I’ve had five. 

“When kids feel comfortable coming up to a stranger and saying you reached me and I’m having thoughts of suicide then we can get them the help that they need. I have saved more lives in any one given year with Dare to Care then I did in 25 with the Calgary Police Service.”

The two-part workshop began with an assembly, which allowed the students to get to know Peace and begin feeling comfortable with him. The second part of the workshop included group sessions. Each topic he discusses is brought to the students in a different light. For example, when talking about eating disorders he would teach the kids that food is a fuel. 

The Dare to Care program is available to any school in any community. Peace said he has even been invited to Bermuda a few times over the years to speak to students there. The program is available for students K-12. Bully proofing is taught by Lisa Dixon-Wells and Kim Edwards for students K-7.