Kiwanis hosts anti-bullying workshop
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Bob Sobol
Kiwanis, a not-for-profit organization seeking to establish a branch in Strathmore, hosted a free workshop for parents and caregivers about effectively responding to bullying.
The event took place at the Strathmore Civic Centre on April 24. Following opening remarks by Mayor Pat Fule, the presentation was given by Elizabeth Bennet, a former educator, principal and author.
Bob Sobol, who spoke on behalf of Kiwanis, said it is a primary goal of the organization to actively benefit youth in the local community.
“(We) have a really strong belief that bullying is something that basically hurts a child’s self-esteem and can also lead to many other issues such as high anxiety, bad grades, dropping out of school and even suicide,” he said. “There is documented evidence that suggests bullying is a precursor to some episodes of suicide, so we want to do what we can to help with that.”
Kiwanis brought the presentation to Strathmore in partnership with PMAST (Peer Mediation and Skills Training) – a Calgary-based charity which focuses on providing anti-bullying and conflict management solutions.
The goal of the presentation was to provide the community with tools and understanding about how to potentially stop bullying activity, and deal with it in a way to benefit both the victim and the antagonist.
“This is one of the issues that Kiwanis International is very interested in because they are very well aware of the fact that this is a major issue, not only in the Town of Strathmore, but everywhere,” said Sobol. “I do not think people realize the gravity and some of the ramifications of what bullying can do, but in the last 10 or 15 years, I think it has become very evident.”
Based on a release distributed by Kiwanis, one in five kids will experience some form of bullying during their school years.
Sobol added bullying is not something that appears strictly in a school setting, as it can also occur in recreational and sporting environments.
“It is everywhere. The focus is making sure that people understand that it is around and how to perhaps deal with it,” he said. “It is a very difficult issue to deal with because it is happening in playgrounds, it is happening in sports – it is happening, and not necessarily always in public.”
Though he did not provide specific examples, Sobol suggested going online following the presentation to seek out additional resources if a parent or caregiver suspects their child or charge is involved in or being affected by bullying.