Crimesense Magazine - Spring 2011 - Eastern Ontario

Editor & PublishEr

Jacques Beauchamp

former regional police officer

ExEcutivE AssistAnt

Christine Panasuk

AssistAnt Editor

Joyce Li

circulAtion / Production

Joyce Li

Production co ordinAtor

Jonathan Beauchamp

GrAPhics & Art

www.DESIGNit.CA

PrintEd in ontArio, cAnAdA

Dollco Printing

Crimesense is Published by Vantage Publishing

Group Corp. and distributed free, all rights

reserved. Contents and photographs may

not be reprinted without written permission.

The statements, opinions and pointts of view

expressed in articles published in this magazine

are those of the authors and publication shall

not be deemed to mean they are necessarily

those of Vantage Publishing Group Corp. or

other affiliated organizations. The publisher

accepts no responsibility for unsolicited

manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or

other materials.

Publications Mail Agreement no. 41927547

return undeliverable canadian addresses to174 colonnade road south, suite 33

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telphone: (613) 724-9907toll Free: [email protected]. vantagepublishing.ca

Well, this is a very exciting time for us and for our readers! We are delighted to start 2011 by moving ahead and reaching out to the people who believe in what we are doing.

While we celebrate our 20th anniversary under the name of OPNP (Ontario Police News Publication), we realize that the time has come to improve and to give more back to our clients and supporters who have created change in their communities. With this, we are introducing a brand new publication, “Crimesense Magazine”.

This issue marks the first edition of Crimesense Magazine in the Ottawa Region. Our goal is to provide you with even more vital information to read and pass on to your community. We all get caught up with the challenges of everyday life- like taking care of our homes, business, and most importantly, our families. We sometimes forget to take a look around us and realize what is going on and what really is happening.

I would like to bring to light one of our supporters; Crime Prevention Ottawa. This organization’s mission is to contribute to crime reduction and enhanced community safety in Ottawa through collaborative evidence-based crime prevention. I encourage you to visit their website at crimepreventionottawa.ca to learn about the various initiatives that they have started to help make our neighbourhoods a safer place.

The purpose of this magazine is to provide you with information that matters. We promote community awareness and try to help you understand that crime prevention does impact everyone; meaning you and your neighbours, and your colleagues at work.

We all know that knowledge is the key to overcome any problem. With every magazine that we publish,

my hope is that you are able to take away at least one piece of valuable information to help you and your family. I strongly encourage you to share what you have learned with others; including community organizations, schools, and colleges. If knowledge is power, then empower those around you!

I challenge you to pick one article from this issue and share the facts with as many people as you can. You’ll be surprised to learn that the majority of the people that you’ve shared with don’t already know the facts. That’s why we need your help to spread the word. The truth of the matter is that crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility!

Let your sixth sense be awareness.

c r i m e s e n s e m ag .c o mc r i m e s e n s e | s p r i n g 2011

From The ediTor

Jacques BeauchampEditor-in-Chief

SAYHELLO

Share your suggestions or comments with Jacques by sending him an email at: [email protected]

coluMnists

Canadian Paediatric Society

(First Nations, Inuit & Métis Health

Committee 2010)

Dax Urbszat

Anjana Dooling

Steve Hall & Gordon Mack Scott

Kismet Baun

Latricia Wilson

Account ExEcutivEs

Donn Holt

Thomas Easton

Dan Cole

Ryan Bérubé

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c r i m e s e n s e | s p r i n g 2011

in This issue

c r i m e s e n s e m ag .c o m

SPRING 2011

MENTAL HEALTH 32

17

23

11

50

43

29

Youth, Crime, and

mental health

causes, links, and solutions

Kids help phoneMental health is the num-

ber one reason kids contact Kids Help Phone

the ottawa senators Foundationfor greater goals

whY should You Care about

Your neighbourhoodbroken windows theory

Crime rateswhy they don’t measurepublic safety

bill 168workplace violence

Crime prevention paYswhy stopping crimebefore it happenssaves us all

57the media’s role

in shaping attitudes towards mental health

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

YOUTH AWARENESS

06inhalant abuse

what parents should know

63teenage suiCide

is your teen at risk of suicide because of bullying


What is inhalant abuse?Inhalant or solvent abuse is when someone intentionally breathes in or sniffs common toxic substances (chemicals) to get a high. It is also called huffing and bagging.

Compared with other kinds of drug abuse, inhalant abuse sometimes affects younger children because the products are common, legal, cheap and easy to find.

What are some examples of inhalants?The most commonly used substances are: gasoline, paint, propane/butane, air fresheners, and formalin (found in disinfectants).


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c r i m e s e n s e m ag .c o m c r i m e s e n s e | s p r i n g 2011

Commonly abused inhalants

hoW are inhalants abused?Some of the common terms for inhalant abuse refer to the way or the type of products that are used:•Sniffing:directlyinhalingthefumesthrough

the nose.•Snorting:throughthemouth.•Bagging:fromaplasticorpaperbag.•Huffing:fromaragorclothsoakedinthe substance and held over the mouth or nose.•Glading:inhalingair-fresheneraerosols.•Dusting:directlysprayingaerosolsintothenose

or mouth.

there is no Way to prediCt hoW muCh of an inhalant Will kill a person. someone Could use a

Certain amount one time and seem fine, but the next use

Could Cause death.


What happens Whensomeone uses an inhalant?When a person uses an inhalant, large amounts of toxic chemicals enter the lungs. These chemicals pass from the bloodstream into the brain where they can damage and kill brain cells. Inhalants can kill, even the first time someone uses them. A person can stop breathing because of lack of oxygen or suffocate, especially if using a plastic bag. Inhalants can cause the heart to beat very fast and irregularly and then suddenly stop beating (cardiac arrest).

There is no way to predict how much of an inhalant will kill a person. Someone could use a certain amount one time and seem fine, but the next use could cause death.

The effects of inhalants usually last only a few minutes, unless a person keeps inhaling over and over. At first, inhalants have a stimulating effect. A person may feel dazed, dizzy and have trouble walking.

Inhaling can cause headaches, nausea and vomiting. Users can be moody and aggressive or think that they see things that are not there. Stronger chemicals or repeated inhaling can cause people to pass out.

Over time, inhalants can cause serious and permanent damage to vital organs like the brain, kidneys, heart and liver.

Inhalants exit the body mainly through exhaling. Someone who is using inhalants often has breath that smells like chemicals. Inhalants also pass out of the body through urine. It can take as long as two weeks for the body to get rid of all the chemicals.

What Can parents do?• Knowwhichproductscanbedangerous.• Knowtheslangwordsusedtodescribeinhaling.• Knowthewarningsignsandbehaviourstowatchfor.• Beopenandtalktoyourchildrenaboutdangerofinhalants.

If you think your child or teen is using inhalants,talk to a health professional.

for more information on inhalant abuse ContaCt:• CentreforAddictionandMentalHealth(www.camh.net)• CanadianCentreonSubstanceAbuse(www.ccsa.ca)• HealthCanada, FirstNations, Inuit andAboriginalHealthBranch;NationalNativeAlcoholandDrugAbuseProgram(www.hc-sc.gc.ca)

• Yourlocalpoisoncontroloffice

Developed by the CPS First Nations,Inuit and Métis Health Committee

For more information:Inhalant Abuse, a statement of theCanadianPaediatricSociety(www.cps.ca)

Updated: September 2010This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician. There may be variations in treatment that your physician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. Source: Canadian Paediatric Society, First Nations,Inuit and Métis Health Committee, 2010.For more information, please visit www.caringforkids.ca© 2010 Canadian Paediatric Society. All Rights Reserved.

CS


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c r i m e s e n s e | s p r i n g 2011 c r i m e s e n s e m ag .c o m

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“If a window in a building is

broken and left unrepaired,

all the rest of the windows

will soon be broken…

one unrepaired window is a

signal that no one cares and

so breaking more windows

will cost nothing.”

The broken window is a metaphor for the effects of minor crime in communities. The theory states that if minor crimes in a community are allowed to happen, this sends a signal that nobody cares about

the community, resulting in a lack of interest and fear among community members and an open door for more serious types of crime.

WhatBrokenWindowsTheoryencouragesisanimmediateresponsetominor crimes in order to prevent more serious criminal activities from happening. This means cleaning up graffiti, fixing broken windows, picking up syringes, beer bottles and other garbage in parks and on streets.

It also means stopping behaviours that threaten a neighbourhood like public drunkenness, harassment, drug sales and the sex trade.

This approach has been adopted by communities and police services across North America. It has been most successful in New York City, which in 1994 made a big effort to reduce the sex trade, panhandling, and graffiti, resulting in a dramatic reduction of more serious crimes in the following years.

What can individuals do about broken WindoWs?It is important to remember that everyone has a role to play in keeping our neighbourhoods safe and livable. While we all need help and need toknowwheretogetit,problem-solvingneedstostartwitheachoneofus, before we pick up the phone.

Problem solving in your neighbourhoodEvery solution to a problem should begin with an assessment to help you figure out what the issues really are, what you can do about them and who you might need to call for help.

as assessment can be as simPle asansWering the folloWing questions:•Whatproblemsdoweseeinourneighbourhood?•Whatisworkingwellintheneighbourhood?•Arethingsbeingdonethataren’tworking?•Dowehaveanyideasthatmighthelptofixtheproblems?•Whocanhelpusfixthis?

Once you have answered these questions you will know whether the solu-tion to the problem is a matter of talking to a neighbour about the issue, forminganassociationtoaddressit,orwhetheryouneedtocallBy-law,the police or another organization to help you solve it. It is always a good ideatotrytoworkwithothers-friends,neighboursandcommunityor-ganizationswhocanhelp-tosolveproblemsinyourcommunity.Don’tbeafraid to ask for help and remember that you should always approach a situation with good sense and safety in mind.

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A more complex problem solving mod-el you might want to look at is SARA, which stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response and As-sessment. SARA is used in “problem-oriented policing”, an approach that is proactive and not fo-cused on the criminal justice system, and that brings together public agencies, the community and the private sector to help solveaproblem.Moreinformation about the SARA model can be

found at: http://www.popcenter.org/about/. CrimePreventionThroughEnvironmentalDesign(CEPTED)isamodelalsousedbycityplanners,architects, police services and community members to encourage people to think about the physical en-vironment, our buildings and public spaces, and how they can be made to discourage crime and criminal activity.MoreinformationaboutCEPTEDisavail-able at: http://www.cptedontario.ca/.

hoW to be a good neighbourBeingagoodneighbourstartswiththeverysimplestep of getting to know people in your neighbour-hood.Howcanwedothis?Invitepeopleoverforabarbeque.Gonextdoorwithyourshovelorsnow-blower after a big snowfall. Offer your expertise onaprojectyouknowsomeoneisstarting.Checkin on the elderly couple living across the street. Small acts of kindness can lead to big rewards as you make friends in your neighbourhood and will open the door for the same acts of kindness from your neighbours.

helP build community sPiritThere are many ways to create engagement and spiritinyourneighbourhood.Youcangetinvolved

in creating neighbourhood parks or gardens for ev-eryonetoenjoy.Youcanstartaweeklyballhockeygamewithchildrenandparentsonyourstreet.Youcan also organize a special event and make it a tradition everyyear.Youmightbe surprised justhow many people jump on board when a good idea is offered.

Don’tforgettocastawidenetwhenapproach-ingotherneighbourstoparticipate.Mothersandfathers, seniors and young people, newcomers, friends, colleagues - everyone has something tocontribute. One of the issues that can divide com-munities the most is fear – of people with differ-ent cultures and religions, people with different languages, people with disabilities, the young and the old, and people who might just look or act a bit different. It is only through getting to know people that you can rid a neighbourhood of these fears and build stronger communities.

Strong, inclusive and collaborative partnerships are key to building better neighbourhoods. Being aswelcoming as you can of different people, their skills and opinions, will help open the doors for everyone tocontributeandtolearnnewthings.Bringingto-gether people from all ages and stages and walks of life helps break down barriers and bridge the gaps between all of us.

get to knoW the PeoPle andorganizations that can helP you GettingtoknowyourlocalCommunityPoliceOfficer,CommunityPoliceCentre, andCom-munityHealthandResourceCentres,isagreatway to build good relationships with the people and organizations that can help you when you need it.

Yourlocalcitycouncilorsmayalsowantandbeable to assist you with an issue in your neigh-bourhood, so you should be in touch with them as well about any initiatives you start. Youcan find out who your councilor is by visiting theCityofOttawawebsiteat:http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/mayor_council/councillors/

Sobriety House

90 First Avenue,Ottawa Ontario K1S 2G4

613-233-0828

The heaT SourceTel.: 1-613-258-6555

Fax: 613-258-3068417 Rideau Street, Kemptville ON. K0G 1J0

www.kemptvilleheatsource.com

Chimney Sweeping Service • Maintenance on Gas FireplacesDryer Vent Cleaning • Wood and Pellet Stove Maintenance

Installation of Wood and Pelllet StovesInstallation of Gas Fireplaces • Underground Gas Line

W.E.T.T. Inspection

strong, inclusive and collaborative

partnerships are key to building better neighbourhoods.

being as welcoming as you can of

different people, their skills and opinions,

will help open the doors for everyone

to contribute and to learn new things.

15


Youshouldalsomakeconnectionswithschools,churches and other faith groups and nonprofit or-ganizations as you never know when a project or issue may come up that you are all interested inandthatyoucanallworkontogether.Everyneighbourhood has its own resources, organiza-tions and clubs and you should get to know yours before you start any project. Getting to know lo-cal media is also a good idea as you never know when they might be able to help you raise the profi le of an issue or advertise an event.

Theoldsaying“there’sstrengthinnumbers” istrue. The more connected we are to people and groups in our communities, the more we benefi t fromeachother’sskillsandknowledge,andper-haps most importantly, the more likely we are to help each other in times of need. And, after all your hard work is done, remember to celebrate your successes! Take photos, write stories and send these to local papers and other media and to politicians and organizations in your community to let them know about the good work you are doing.Hearingaboutsomeoneelse’ssuccesscanoften lead others to take action too.

learn aboutBeproactiveaboutcrimepreventionandcommu-nitysafetyBecoming involved inyourneighbour-hood can improve its overall safety and can help prevent crime from taking place. If you get to know your neighbours – who comes and goes from the house, if they are having work done, or if they are away on a holiday – you will be better able to rec-ognizewhensomethingisnotright.Crimepreven-tion can range from simple activities like watching yourneighbour’spropertywhentheyarenothometo reporting suspicious activities on a property, or startinganeighbourhoodassociationorNeighbour-hood Watch to address problems. Whatever level of organization you choose to take on, being vigilant and concerned about what happens in your neigh-bourhood and encouraging others to do the same will benefit everyone.

You should always remember, however, that yourown personal safety is very important. When ap-

proaching any kind of situation in your neighbourhood, you should always con-sider your personal safety and use com-monsense.Youdon’twant to get yourself into a situation that might be dangerous to you or others, and you never want to take the law into your own hands. Through-out this toolkit there are phone numbers, email addresses and other resources that will point you in the right direction when you need help. There is nothing wrong with being a concerned and active citizen and working with your neighbours to make your neighbourhood a safer, hap-pier place to live, but you should always do this with your own safety and the safety of others in mind.

Crime Prevention Ottawa’s NeighbourhoodToolkit is an online resource (a printable version is also available on the website) that provides ideas, information and resources to help Otta-wa residents make their neighbourhoods better places to live. The Toolkit encourages residents to get involved in their neighbourhoods and to be accountable and proactive about communi-ty safety. Individuals, community associations, NeighbourhoodWatchvolunteersandmanyoth-ers will find helpful ideas and practical informa-tion about building safer neighbourhoods from the ground up. The Toolkit also contains infor-mation about specific problems and crimes and how to get help from municipal and community resources in Ottawa. CS

Youcanlearnmoreaboutthe Toolkit by visiting:

www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/toolkit.

When approaching any kind of situation in your neighbourhood, you should always consider your personal safety and use common sense. you don’t want to get your-self into a situation that might be dangerous to you or others, and you never want to take the law into your own hands.

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With the end of another school year coming up soon, many ofusarestartingtothinkaheadtosummer.It’satimeofyear when many of us start to look forward to late evening sunsets, family vacations, and warm weather.

But the end of a school year can alsomeannewbegin-nings. Some teens will start new summer jobs, or search forpermanent,full-timework.Otherswillbegettingreadyto start college or university.

Major transitions like these can cause stress and anxiety for teens and emerging adults, even in those who have never experienced a mental health problem before.

Mental health is the number one reason kids contact Kids HelpPhone.In2010,closeto30%ofthecallscounsellorsre-ceived were related to mental health, with concerns ranging fromeatingdisorderstoself-harmtoself-esteem.

Weknowthatnumberislikelytogrow.Children’sMentalHealthOntariosaysthatmentalhealthproblemsamongchil-dren and youth are predicted to increase and it is estimated that mental health challenges will become one of the five most common causes of morbidity, mortality and disability among children.

TheCMHOalsoreportsthat,currently,3.2millionyouthin Canada between the ages of 12 and 19 are at risk for de-veloping depression, and 1 in 5 kids under the age of 17 has a mental health disorder that affects how they function at home, school, or within their community. And even though these problems are widespread, affecting kids regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender, or income, stigma associated with having a mental health problem is still so prevalent that many kids, and parents, are afraid to reach out for help when it comes to mental health.

You can change that. Keep in mind that many kids fear that theirparentswon’tbewillingtohearthemout,orwillmakeassumptions about what struggling with a mental health is-sue means, so trying to set aside any assumptions you may have and making an effort to really understand what your child is saying is an incredibly important first step.

©copyright iStockphoto.com | Perkus


Here are some tips that you can start using right now to promote mental health at home. •Showthatyouvalueandacceptyourchildforwhoheorsheis.Don’tassumethattheyalreadyknow.

•Communicate with your kids. Encourage them to talkaboutwhat’shappeningintheirlives–boththegoodstuffandthebad–whilerespectingthattheymaynotwanttodisclose everything.

•Makeanefforttoreallylistentowhatyourkidsaretellingyou. Reflect that you “get it” when you do, and ask for clarificationwhenyoudon’t.Showthemthatyouwanttounderstand them.

•Letyourkidsknowthatyouaresafetotalkto.Explicitlytellthemthatyou’reopentotalkingaboutthereallytoughstuff, and that there’s nothing they could tell you thatwould damage the relationship irreparably.

•Beopentoavarietyofkids’communication.Someyoungpeople might find it really difficult to open up in person, but not in an email or written note. Ask what works best for them and try to work with it.

•Workonyourownmentalhealthliteracy.Educateyourselfabout mental health.

•Challenge stigmawhen you see it.Bemindful of howyou talk about mental illness, and your reactions to depictions of or encounters with individuals who have a mental disorder.

Don’t Make Assumptions•Rememberthatit’sokaynottohavealloftheanswers-you’renotexpectedto.•Don’t make assumptions about what your child is

going through. Instead, ask questions, show that you are interested, and acknowledge that if your child is bringingthisconcerntoyouthatit’sworthyofsometime and attention. •Don’t talk to others about your child’s experiences

without asking first.•When it’s a non-urgent situation, avoid rushing to

solutions. Moving too quickly to offer advice or next steps can shut the conversation down quickly and circumvent an opportunityforunderstandingthenuanceofyourchild’sexperience and building trust. •Ifthecircumstancesaremoreurgent-i.e.,ifyourchildhasdisclosedthattheyaresuicidal-remaincalmandcommunicate hope to your child, and connect your child to professional supports as soon as possible.

Collaborate with your child•Askyourchildwhatwouldbemosthelpful rightnow.

Maybe your child just needs someone to listen, maybe [they] would like someone to do some research with them, maybe[they]wouldlikeyoutogotothedoctor’swiththem.Youwon’tknowwhattheymostwantfromyouuntil you ask.•Be open to collaborating on solutions, including

solutions about the types of help or treatment you might consider pursuing.

stigmaWhat is stigma? Stigma refers

to the stereotypes, myths and misperceptions that often get associated with mental illness. Stigma can lead people to mistreat, mock, avoid or fear people with mental health problems. Stigma can also make people feel embarrassed or ashamed about their own, or a family member’s, mental health issue. The threat of being judged or labeled can also leave people reluctant to seek help. Mental

illness is still so stigmatized in Canada that there are

many people who would rather suffer in silence

than risk talking about it.

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Follow up and follow through •Don’tlettheconversationdrop.Bringitbackupbygentlychecking-

in with your child. •Makesuretoshowconsistencyandfollow-througharoundanyofthe

solutions that you and your child have explored. •Ifyourchildfindsthattheapproachthatyou’vebeentryingisn’tworking,

be open to other options. For example, many people need to try seeing several different counsellors before they find one that is a good fit.

Take Care of Yourself•Havingachilddiscloseamentalhealthrelatedstrugglecanbein-

credibly distressing. Fear, sadness, guilt, anger, and helplessness are normalemotionalreactionstothissortofnews.Knowthatit’sokayto be distressed but try not to let your own feelings overshadow what yourchildisgoingthrough.Monitoryourownreactions–there’sagoodchancethatyourchildwillbehyper-attunedtoyourresponse,so try your best to remain neutral, present, and open.

•Acknowledgethatstigmadoesnotonlyaffectsomeonewithamen-tal health concern, but their parents as well. You might feel judged orblamedforwhatyourchildisgoingthrough,orlikeit’ssomehowyourfault.It’snot.Begentlewithyourselfandgiveyourselfpermis-siontobehuman.Maybeyouaren’taperfectparent,butnooneis.

• Take care of yourself. Supporting your child through a mental health strug-gle is no easy task. Take advantage of whatever supports are available to you, and make sure to build in time to relax and recoup. CS

One of the most important assets you may have in dealing with your child’s mental wellbeing is Kids Help Phone. Kids can always get free, anonymous support by calling one of our professional counsellors at 1-800-668-6868 or by visiting www.kidshelpphone.ca. Parents will also find more useful tips and information on our website.

Take care of yourself. Supporting your child through a mental health struggle is no easy task. Take advantage of whatever supports are available to you, and make sure to build in time to relax and recoup.


It’sthesupportfromthecommunitythathas been the catalyst for the success of theSensFoundation.Thatsupport,com-

bined with the strength of Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, Alumni, corporate sponsors,and community partners has created an en-vironment that has provided over $60 mil-lion in support back to the community since inception.

Establishedin1998,theSensFoundationisa registered charity whose mandate is to pro-vide financial and in kind support to other charities intheEasternOntarioandWest-ern Quebec region with a focus on children and youth in the areas of health, education and sport and recreation.

Early in its establishment a prominentboard of directors considered the direction the Foundation should take to benefit thecommunity at large. Considering the ben-efits that could be achieved in the areas of children and youth, it was determined that three pillars would be created under which fundraising could conducted. These pillars later solidified providing the opportunity for strategic implementation of fundraising pro-grams and initiatives.

Roger’s House is the Sens Foundation’scharity of choice. This paediatric pal-liative hospice opened its doors inMayof2006onthegroundsoftheChildren’sHospitalofEasternOntario.Overwhelm-

ing support by the construction community and supported by do-nations from fans and corporate sponsors the hospice has allowed hundreds of children and youth and their families from across the province of Ontario to receive help. The legacy of Ottawa Sena-tors coachRogerNeilson, thehospiceprovidesa comprehensivepaediatric palliative program with elements of outreach, residential hospice, pain and symptom management, grief and bereavement counsellingandresearch.TheSensFoundationhoststwoannualevents insupportofRoger’sHouse;theRoger’sHouseTelethonandWalk,Roll&RunforRoger’sHouse.TheFoundationalsoprovides support to hundreds of individuals and community orga-nizationswhohostfundraisingeventsforRoger’sHouseannually.

TheSensFoundationhasalsosupportedotherhealthcareinstitu-tions and programs in our region including the recent fulfillment ofa$1milliondollarpledgetotheChildren’sHospitalofEast-ern Ontario. Contributions have also been made in support ofchildandyouth initiativesat theRoyalOttawaFoundation forMentalHealth,QueenswayCarletonHospitalFoundation,OttawaRotaryHomeFoundation,OttawaRegionalCancerFoundationandCSSSdeGatineauFoundation.MuchofthisfundraisingwasraisedthroughsupportfromtheBellSensSoireeGalaheldeachyear.TheJanuary2011Soireeraisedanastounding$360,000andwas attended by all the Senators hockey players and their spouses along with committed corporate sponsors and prominent members of our community.

HealthPillar

25


EducationPillar

Making

A Difference

In Our

Community

The Sens Foundationrealizes the importance of providing our youth with educational opportunities. A number of endowments

have been established at post secondary institutions in the region allowing for bursaries to deserving and underprivilegedyouth.With$1.674millionendowedatvarious educational institutions, over 250 bursaries valued atover$350,000havebeenawardedtodate. In October 2008 the SensFoundationannounceditssecond-largest financial commitment in its 10-year history, a 1.3 millionpledge in support of two Ottawa residential youth treatment centres. The fundraising campaign, entitled Project s.t.e.p., is the communityresponse to addressing the need of residential substance abuse treatment, education and prevention for young people between the ages of13and17.Withthesupportofcommunity partners such as 24hTremblantandtheOttawaDragonBoatFoundation,localchampionsand leaders, this campaign will raise the funds needed to support the development of a comprehensive substance abuse education and prevention program in our high schools, as well as provide specialized treatment and counselling in a 24-hourresidential setting.

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Keepingourkidsac-tive and engaged in healthy activities is a primary focus of the SensFoundationandhockey club. An ex-citing new initiative for the 2010/2011 hockey seasonwas the launch ofthe I Love to Skate program. In partnership with the CityofOttawa,CanadianTire,andCanadianTireJumpstart,400childrenbetweentheagesof6and12

years were provided with new skates and helmets plus skating lessons by qualified instructors on rinks in their communities. The children were then invited to Scoi-tabankPlaceforawrapuppartywherethey were invited by local dignitaries to skate on the ice, and enjoy a snack and variety show.

Cheer for CharityOne of the most successful programs the SensFoundationfacilitatesistheCheerfor Charity program where season seatholders, premium-seating clients andsuite holders are provided an opportunity to donate their event or Senators hockey tickets. The Sens Foundation providesthe donor with a charitable tax receipt for the value of the tickets, prior to taxes. The tickets are then provided to United Way/Centraide Ottawa to distribute tosome of their 200 charitable community partners,1,800workplacecampaignsand14,000 volunteers. To datemore than13,805 tickets with a value of over $1million dollars have been donated, pro-viding opportunities for many families in our community to attend an event at ScotiabankPlace. CS

for more informationplease visit

www.sensfoundation.com

Sport &RecreationPillar


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Manyofuslikethebalanceofthiscauseandeffectequation-peoplewhocommitcrimesgetarrestedandgotojail.Butdoesit reallywork to stop crime?We often forget an importantpiece of the puzzle that comes before the crime is committed: thisistheworkoforganizationslikeCrimePreventionOttawathat mobilise governments, law enforcement, communities, agencies, schools, parents and children to prevent crime from happening. And the prevention of crime actually saves us much more than we realize.

We are all the victims of crime when we pay for it. For an average municipality of 900,000 people, the estimated annual costsofcrimetovictimsandthepublicismorethan$1.3billion.Taxpayers pay more than $270 million mostly from municipal taxes for policing and $81 million for corrections from federal andprovincialtaxes.It’sastaggeringamountofmoneywhenyou think about how investing in crime prevention can help our pocketbooks. Studies confirm that a dollar invested now in crime prevention, for example parent training or stopping

a young person dropping out of school, avoids seven dollars for increased incarceration. A dollar for enriched child care saves $17 in

criminal justice costs.

©copyright iStockphoto.com | TPopova


Stillnotconvinced?Hereareafewmorenumbers:InCanadaitcostsalmost$100,000toputayoungpersoninjailforoneyear. In that year, far less money could see that young person: swim twice aweek for 30weeks; skate once aweek for 15weeks;playbasketballinaleagueonceaweekfor26weeks;participateinfencingorkarateforaseason;participateinadrop-inprogramfourhoursperweekfor40weeks;and,ontopof all that, learn to boat and act, gain computer, first aid, and leadership skills. In addition, all equipment and supplies could be provided for all of these activities, as well as a bus pass, bi-

cycle and helmet for transportation.

The numbers tell the story: stopping crime from happen-ing is more cost-effective than pun-ishing individuals after a crime has been committed. Crime preventioninvolves a focus on eliminating factors

that make people more likely to be involved in crime. Issues like youth unemployment, social isolation and poor health can beaddressedbycreatingjobopportunities,after-schoolpro-grams and allowing wider access to physical fitness and rec-reationforfamilies.It’sanothercauseandeffect,butthisonemakes more sense because if you stop the crime from happen-inginthefirstplaceyoudon’thavetoputanyoneinjailandthere is no victim of crime.

Dr.IrvinWaller,ProfessorofCriminologyandpastDirectoroftheInstituteforthePreventionofCrimeattheUniversityof Ottawa, notes that directly addressing issues that we know predispose young people to become offenders in teenage and adultyearsleadstoeffectivecrimeprevention.“Forexample,we know that social isolation is a major risk factor,” he says. “Teenage boys who have positive adult role models are less likely to become offenders. Recreation programs are one solu-tion, as they provide connections with adult mentors, coaches, and trainers, and this will have an effect on crime rates. There is a logical and practical link between recreation and crime prevention – and it works.” In the end, it’s not just about the numbers, says VernWhite, Chief of Police with the Ottawa Police Services.

“The minute you start feeling like your community is safer and that crime is going down, things get better,” ChiefWhitestates.“Peoplefeelliketheycangooutintheeve-ning, they start cleaning up their streets and yards. The quality of life in our communities is dramatically improved by the prevention of crime.”

Dr.Walleragrees:“Thenumbersmakeyousitupandtakenotice, but you have to put them together with changing the causes of crime. It is about sav-ing money, but more importantly, about avoiding harm to victims and providing better futures for people who might otherwise have com-mitted crimes and gone to jail.” Crimepreventionisagoalworthpursuing, because everyone sharesinthepay-off. CS

Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO) contributes

to crime reduction and enhanced community

safety in Ottawa through collaborative

evidence-based crime prevention. Look for

more information about Crime Prevention

Week or activities and events coming

soon at www.crimepreventionottawa.ca

it is about saving money, but more importantly, about avoiding harm to victims and providing better futures for people who might otherwise have committed crimes and gone to jail.” Crime prevention is a goal worth pursuing, because everyone shares in the pay-off.

©copyright iSt

ockphoto.com | paulthepunk

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Ghislain & Gilbert leduc (prop.)

tél.: 613-679-2595phone: 613-446-0606

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By: Dax Urbszat, LL.B., Ph.D. Department of Psychology University of Toronto

youth crime

and mental health

causes, links, and solutions

©copyright iStockphoto.com | nico_blue


Most individuals in law enforcement, politics, education,

and research agree that Mental Health issues have an

important impact on the creation and maintenance

of criminal behaviour. This may be especially true for younger

individuals dealing with mental health issues, including anxiety,

depression, and substance abuse. It has been suggested that mental

disorders constitute the largest burden of disease in youth and it

hasbeenestimatedthatasmanyas20%ofyouthexperienceserious

mental health problems, usually as a result of mental disorders.1

“Mental disorders are highly prevalent in young people, comprising

approximatelyone-thirdoftheglobalburdenofdiseaseinthisage

group;approximately75%onsetbefore24yearsofage.”2 Mental

health issues in adolescence may reflect disorders of childhood that

have persisted, or they may be the first onset of a disorder that

may well last into adulthood. The consequences of mental illness

include“life-longdifficultywithsubstantialmorbidity, significant

socioeconomic consequences and increased early mortality.”

33



ErniE GrattoPlumbinG & HEatinG

470 Du bercailHawkesbury, on K0b 1K0

613-632-5383

35


Although the prevalence of mental disorders in young people is well documented, it would seem that only a portion of youth suffering with mental illness will receive the proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that they require. Recent studies suggest that only 25-30% of youth who require mentalhealth treatment will actually receive it.3,4 “Two of every three depressed children do not receive an appropriate diagnosis by a primary care physician, and even when a diagnosis is given, only 50% receive appropriate treatment.”5 For a myriad of reasons there are notenough mental health services available to meet the needs of Canadian youth.Many of these problems include “longwaiting lists for specialty mental health service, lack of mental health care in

primary care, inadequate numbers of health providers with necessary mental health competencies, poor coordination among institutions and organizations serving young people and government agencies tasked with ensuring service provision, and lack of specific child and youth mental health polices at both the provincial and federal levels.”

To further complicate the matter, there are growing concerns that increasing numbers of youth suffering from mental health problems are being directed into thejuvenile-justicesystemduetoalackofaccessible and appropriate mental health care.6,7 A convincing body of research shows that the majority of children and youth within correctional settings suffer from one or more mental disorders.8,9Notsurprisingly, the mental health prognoses

for many of these youth is poor and urgent calls are being made to respond to the treatment and rehabilitation needs of youth within these settings”.10 While not created or intended for this purpose, detention facilities are now the largest providers of mental health services for young people, yet the juvenile justice system is not equipped for the proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health problems. Recentresearchsuggeststhat25%of

those hospitalized for a mental illness have a history of criminal behaviour.11 Other research shows that up to 70%of incarcerated adolescents suffer from mental disorders that significantly impair their functioning in multiple domains.12,13 The prevalence of mental disorders in the criminal justice system is at least two to

four times greater than in the general adolescent population.14 The large number of young people in institutions who require mental health services has overwhelmed the justice system, which is ill-equipped and ill-prepared to dealwith the pressing needs of so many. This has lead to poor outcomes for youth with mental illness who become incarcerated. “Only one-third of incarcerated malesand one-fourth of incarcerated femalesneeding mental health services receive them, raising concerns that custodial interventions are replacing the need for therapeutic mental health care. Effectively addressing the mentalhealth needs of young people before their becoming involved in the juvenile justice system may result in fewer incarcerations and improved short-and

long-term person, social and economicoutcomes.”15

There are numerous reasons for the high rates of mental disorders among incarcerated youth. While some reasons may be fairly obvious, others are less clear.Certainly,onefactoraddingtotheproblem is the fact that “the presence of a mental disorder at the time of apprehension for suspicion of a criminal act increases the likelihood of a negative outcome in terms of subsequent contact with the justice system.” This includes “higher rates of arrests at the scene of the offense, longer detention periods and higher rates of recidivism.”16 Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear that the juvenile justice system is not the type of environment that will help in attaining optimum outcomes with youth that have serious mental health concerns, in fact, it is likely that institutionalization in the justice system may lead to or exacerbate mental health issues. The possibility of victimization by staff or other inmates, new access to controlled substances, confinement, and separation from social support systems are only some of the potential problems that can lead to a worsening of mental health in at risk youth. These factors, as well as others, also increase the risk of suicide in a population of youth whose risk is already elevated due to mental illness.17

In one study it was found that “nearly two thirds of males and nearly three quarters of females met diagnostic criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders. Excluding conduct disorder(common among detained youth), nearly 60%ofmalesandmorethantwothirdsof females met diagnostic criteria and had diagnosis-specific impairment forone or more psychiatric disorders.” It was also found that half of all males and nearly half of all females in incarceration met Diagnostic and Statistical ManualIVtr (DSM-IV) criteria for a substanceuse disorder. As well, more than 20%of females met criteria for a major depressive episode.18 The results of this studysuggestsubstantialco-morbidityof mental disorders among juvenile detainees and the authors suggest that “youth with psychiatric disorders pose a challenge for the juvenile justice system and, after their release, for the larger mental health system.”

“youth

suffering from

mental health problems

are being directed into

the juvenile-justice system

due to a lack of accessible

and appropriate mental

health care”


20%

75%

of youth experience serious mental

health problems

of mental health problems onset

before the age of 24

25-30%

70%

30.4%

30%

of youth who require mental health treatmentwill actually receive it

of incarcerated adolescents suffer from mental disorders

of incarcerated youth met criteria

for depression

percentage with substance usedisorders that also met criteria

for at least one other major mental disorder

malefemale

20%


37

In another study conducted on newly arrested and incarcerated youth in Cook County, Illinois it was foundthat 56.6% of females and 45.9% ofmales met criteria for 2 or more of the following disorders: major depressive, dysthymic, bi-polar, psychotic, panic,separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, conduct, oppositional defiant, alcohol, marijuana, and other substance. They also found that the “odds of having co-morbid disorderswere higher than expected by chance for most demographic subgroups”. . . and that“nearly14%offemalesand11%ofmales had both a major mental disorder (psychosis, manic episode, or major depressive episode) and a substance use disorder.Comparedwithparticipantswithno major mental disorder (the residual category), those with a major mental disorder had significantly greater odds (1.8-4.1) of having substanceuse disorders.”19 The study also states thatnearly30%of femalesandmorethan 20% of males with substanceuse disorders also met criteria for at least one other major mental disorder. The link between substance abuse and other mental disorders is well established. As a cause or a symptom of mental illness, issues regarding substance abuse remain paramount in the factors contributing both to mental illness and participation in the juvenile justice system.

It would seem that the “general consensus across studies is that the vast majority of incarcerated youth meetformalcriteriaforatleastoneDSM-IVdisorder...withapproximately20%of youth meeting diagnostic criteria for a serious mental health disorder – defined as serious emotional disturbance resulting in functional impairment.”20 With over 120,000 children and adolescents beingheld within juvenile justice facilities acrossNorthAmericaonanygivenday,this represents a huge number of young people in need of proper psychiatric and psychological care. However, asstated previously, the justice system is not designed or equipped to deal with the mental health needs of such an overwhelmingnumber of youth.Mentalhealth issues represent a risk factor for youth to be involved in substance

abuse and the juvenile justice system. Thus, efforts should be directed towards diversion of youth from the justice system and prevention and proper treatment of mental health issues.

Diversion from the Justice System to the Mental Health System

There are a number of specific programs that attempt to divert individuals with mental health issues from the criminal justice system to a wider range of community support systems, particularly, mental health treatment and support. “Preliminaryresults demonstrate a number of positive outcomes including reduced risk for recidivism, less jail time, more involvement with mental health professionals and increased use of community–based

services.”21,22 However, the success ofthese types of programs is dependent uponmulti-agencycommunicationandparticipation including “the availability of highly trained staff, a judiciary that is familiar with and supportive of this approach, and effective collaboration with health, mental health and community service providers.”In British Columbia, the policy

framework for diversion of persons with a mental disorder states “there are a disproportionate number of people with mental disorders in the criminal justice and correctional systems. This is not only seen as an inappropriate consequence for illness related behaviour, but is also increasingly seen as a waste of valuable

law enforcement and criminal justice system time, and of resources that may be more effectively spent on improving community mental health services.” This policy statement is arguably even more fitting for youth and the juvenile justice system. The Youth CriminalJustice Act encourages diversion and conferencing. Conferencing is a set ofprocesses that bring concerned parties together to consult about decisions that must be made following the commission of a serious crime by a young person. Conferencing uses practices fromdiversion, as discussed above, and restorative justice movements in juvenile justice. Placing an emphasis on theimportance of mental health issues during conferencing is one possible way to address the mental health needs of youth involved in the justice system.23

Acknowledgment of the fact that the rate of youth with mental health needs is disproportionately high in the juvenile justice system has led to other diversion programs being introduced such as wraparound programs. Wraparound planning involves families and providers in helping to coordinate mental health, juvenile justice, and any other services and supports. One study compared data from two groups of juvenile offenders with mental health problems and found that youth in the Connectionsprogramweresignificantlyless likely to recidivate at all, less likely to recidivate with a felony offense, and served less detention time. Another studydone in fourNewYorkcountieslooked at a program called Project

Connect. Project Connect is a multilayered program aimed at “linking juvenile probationers to needed mental health and substance use services.” Interventions included “cooperative agreements between probation and mental health authorities, program materials to facilitate referral, in-servicetrainingforprobationofficers,and systematic screening for mental healthneeds. . .ComparedtoBaseline,under Project Connect, referred youthswere 2.7 times as likely to accessservices, regardless of youth or county characteristics, service availability, or when the intervention took place.” Diversion programs with an emphasison proper mental health treatment have shown some promising results.

©copyright iStockphoto.com | alptraum

39


Which Disorders have the GreatestImpact on the Justice System

Given the full range of mental disorders seen in youth today there are several disorders that are commonly associated with youth involved in the justice system. As mood and anxiety disorders are the mostprevalentmentaldisordersinNorthAmerica it is not surprising that they are overrepresented in incarcerated youth populations.UlzenandHamilton(1998)24 found that 30.4% of incarcerated youthmet criteria for depression compared to only4.1%inthecommunitysample.Theyalsofoundthat21.3%ofmalesand30.8%of females met criteria for an Anxiety disorder compared to only 4.1% amongcommunity youth. Studies in the United States report similar prevalence rates of depression and anxiety for incarcerated youth.25 As stated previously, substance use disorders are highly prevalent in youth and incarcerated youth populations. Substance use disorders are also highly comorbid with mood and anxiety disorders.

Other disorders that are less prevalent, but deserve special attention, due to the prolonged course of the disorders include Conduct disorder, OppositionalDefianceDisorder, andAttentionDeficitHyperactivity disorder. These disordersare likely present from before adolescence and respond best to early interventions. Diagnosis of these disorders is moredifficult, but the consequences of these disorders not being treated may be severe with regard to general functioning and risk for entering the juvenile justice system.

Increased Access to the Best Treatments Available

Many youth with mental healthproblems do not get adequate treatment. One of the reasons mentioned above was long waiting lists for specialty mental health service. Standard waiting times for AnxietyorMooddisorder clinics is often6 months to a year. Also, there is lack of mental health care and training in primary care physicians resulting in the standard treatment for anxiety and depression being anti-depressant and anti-anxietymedications.EventhosewhoarereferredtoaspecialistandgoontoseeaPsychiatristwill still likelyfindanti-anxietyandanti-depressant medication as the recommended

treatment. However, “from an evidence-based perspective, cognitive-behavioraltherapy is currently the treatment of choice for anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adolescents.”

This creates a major problem for treatment outcomes, as those in need of cognitivebehaviouraltherapy(CBT)willbe unlikely to receive this form of treatment. CBT is a model that is practiced ingreaternumbersbyclinicalPsychologists,whereas, Psychiatrists are less likelyto be trained in this particular form of psychotherapy. In Ontario, treatment by a clinical psychologist is not covered by the OntarioHealthInsurancePlan.InordertoseeaclinicalPsychologistforCBT,unlessthe psychologist is attached to a hospital clinic, patients will have to pay through insurance or out of pocket. Thus, access to CBT is restricted to those who arepatient enough to remain on the wait list or those that can pay by other means. In Peelregionforexample,itisverydifficultto get a referral from a primary care physician to a psychiatrist that is willing or able to perform cognitive-behaviouraltreatments. As stated above, inadequate numbers of health care providers have the necessary mental health competencies to practiceCBT.Specifically,thereisalackof access and availability for cognitive-behavioural treatment and therapies, which is the treatment of choice for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse in children and adolescents. Heavy andsole reliance on medication as treatment for anxiety and depression is an issue in all populations, but particularly with children and adolescents.26

Prevention of Mental Illnessthrough Education

In addition to supporting governmental adoption of youth mental health courts, the creation of diversion programs that emphasize mental health issues, and increasing access to the best available treatments for mental illness, efforts should be directed towards the prevention of mental illness. Almost invariably, early intervention and treatment will bring about better treatment outcomes. By educatingthe judiciary, first responders, those involved in youth justice services, and community members in general, mental health issues can be better understood and acted upon at an earlier stage, before they contribute to the likelihood of contact with the justice system. In the practice of Cognitive-

Behavioural therapy, one of the firststeps in creating any treatment plan involves Psycho-education. Psycho-education is simply learning about the current knowledge and research concerning all aspects of the disorder the person suffers from. Information like prevalence rates can decrease stigma and let the person know that they are not alone in having this particular disorder. Information about course, symptoms, treatments, etc…, can help inform the person understand the facts regarding their disorder, including importantinformationlikeco-morbiditywith substance abuse for example.

Specific educational programs for middle and high school could be created that educate about anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, as well as the links between these disorders. Once again, Psycho-education programscould be created for parents and community members as well. Intensive psycho-educationprogramscouldalsobe designed for high-risk youth andthose who have had extensive contact with the justice system.

Whatever programs are designed and implemented, it is crucial that they are properly evaluated for outcomes and that they meet the fundamental criteria of program accountability and scientific merit. And, as always, financial resources and feasibility remain constant constraints on any proposed programs.

“those who are

referred to a specialistand go on to see a

Psychiatrist will still likely find anti-anxiety and anti-

depressant medicationas the recommended

treatment.”


Conclusion

It is well understood that mental health is an important contributor to the issues of crime and deviance in any society. While many reports cite mental health as an area to consider, there are very few programs that emphasize the important link that mental illness plays in criminality, especially in the juvenile justicesystem.Hopefully,therewillbecontinued support for governmental programs like youth mental health courts, diversion programs that place an emphasis on the mental health needs, conferencing, and others.

In addition to some of the traditional problems that create a lack of access to mental health care, the issue of limitedaccesstocognitive-behaviouraltreatments is a particular problem for youth with depression, anxiety, and substanceabuse.Mostyouthwhoreceivetreatment for their mental illness will be treated using medications alone, which does not represent the treatment that shows the best outcomes and is known to have many more complications and risks associated. Improving access to CBT may involve a changing ofthe services included under OHIP.Perhaps,attheveryleast,thiscouldbeestablished for youth or at risk youth, or youth that have had initial contact with the justice system.Finally, as stated above, a more

immediate solution involves educational programs.Educationatalllevelsandto all relevant audiences will help people to understand mental illness in order to lessen stigma, improve ability to identify mental illness, improve chances of seeking treatment, and improve treatment outcomes by having earlier interventions and knowledge about thebestavailabletreatments.Psycho-education programs in the community should also demonstrate clearly the links between mental illness, substance abuse, and criminal behaviour.

It should be possible to create a “detour from delinquency” by preventing, properly assessing, and efficiently treating mental illness in young people, thereby keeping them from a future that involves the juvenile and criminal justice systems. CS

“Abetter informed

community lessens the stigma of having mental illness, increases understanding among community

members and service providers, and it hasthe potential to promote early intervention

by giving youth the information necessary to identify and seek help

for mental illness as early as possible.”

18, 19 -Abram, K.M., Teplin, L.A., McClelland, G.M.,

Dulcan, M.K. (2003) Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders

in Youth in Juvenile Detention. Archives of General

Psychiatry. 60:1097–1108.

8 - Andre, G., Pease, K., Kendall, K., & Boulton, A.

(1994). Health and Offence Histories of Young Offenders

in Saskatoon, Canada. Criminal Behaviour and Mental

Health. 4:163–180.

6, 11, 14, 21, 22 - Canadian Institute for Health

Information Improving the health of Canadians: Mental

health, delinquency and criminal activity. < www.cihi.ca>.

(Version current at October 31, 2008).

3 - Leitch, K.K. (2007). Reaching for the top: A report

by the advisor on healthy children & youth. Ottawa:

Health Canada; 2007. < http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca> (Version

current at October 31, 2008).

23 - Hillian, D., Reitsma-Street, M., & Hackler, J.

(2006). Conferencing in the Youth Criminal Justice Act

of Canada: Policy Developments in British Columbia.

Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice,

46(30), 343-366.

4 - Kirby, M.J. & Keon, W.J. (2006). Final Report of

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs,

Science and Technology. Out of the shadows at last:

Transforming mental health, mental illness and

addiction services in Canada.

2, 5, 7, 12, 15, 16 - Kutcher, S. & McDougall, A. (2009)

Problems with access to adolescent mental health care

can lead to dealings with the criminal justice system.

Pediatrics and Child Heath,v. 14(1).

10, 13, 20 - Odgers, C.L., Burnette, M.L., Chauhan, P.,

Moretti, M.M., Reppucci, N.D. (2005). Misdiagnosing the

problem: Mental health profiles of incarcerated juveniles.

Can Child Adolesc Psych Rev. 14:26–9.

17 - Sanislow, C.A., Grilo, C.M., Fehon, D.C., Axelrod,

S.R., McGlashan, T.H. (2003). Correlates of suicide risk in

juvenile detainees and adolescent inpatients. J Am Acad

Child Adolesc Psychiatry.42:234–40.

25 - Teplin, L.A., Abram, K.M., McClelland, G.M., Dulcan,

M.K., Mericle, A.A. (2002). Psychiatric disorders in youth

in juvenile detention. Archives of general psychiatry.

59:1133–1143.

9, 24 - Ulzen, T.P.M., & Hamilton, H. (1998). The

nature and characteristics of psychiatric comorbidity

in incarcerated adolescents. Canadian Journal of

Psychiatry. 43:57–63.

1 - Waddell C, Hua JM, Garland OM, Peters RD, McEwan

K. (2007). Preventing mental disorders in children: A

systematic review to inform policy-making. Can J Public

Health. 98:166–73.

26 - Wasserman, G.A., McReynolds, L.S., Musibegovic,

H., Whited, A.L., Keating, J.M., & Huo, Y. (2009). Evaluating

Project Connect: Improving

References

41

“You see that guy watching the store? He’s just staring at us.”

“That one, wearing the grey coat, sitting on the bench in the mall

right in front of the door?”

“Isn’t that Anna’s ex? When she and I were working the afternoon

shift together last year, he used to pick her up after work every night. He was always in a

grumpy mood.”

Maybe I met him once or twice, didn’t they break up, like,

last spring?

“I worked with Anna last weekend. She said ever since

they separated, he’s been extra strange. He leaves her messages on her voice mail saying that I poisoned her mind against him, and that she should quit and

work somewhere else, then they could be together.”

“Hey, that’s spooky... I hope he isn’t going to sit there all day,“

“He better be gone by the time the manager comes in at 11, I don’t want to get in trouble

over this.”

Someone might get in trouble in this scenario, but it shouldn’t be either

of these two women who opened the store that morning. Since the

introduction of legislation in Ontario commonly known as Bill 168, last

June, employers have a responsibility to combat workplace related violence and

criminal harassment. As many counsellors working with women know, situations

like the one touched on above always produce unease and emotional discomfort,

and all too often lead to threatening situations and sometimes physical violence.

Any of these effects has a negative impact on employee absenteeism, retention

of good staff, morale, and the bottom-line – profitability.

43


©copyright iStockphoto.com | bobbieo

45


Well, “they” oughta give these counter staff something, but something more useful than body armour. In fact, the employer has an obligation to strategize and get results in these areas of employee safety.

HowdoesanemployermeetthenewobligationsthatBill168 imposes? Whatwouldbetherightthingsto do in a situation like the ones introduced at the beginningofthisarticle?

Ontario laws now have requirements for employers to design, display, implement and regularly review written policies and related practices with respect to both workplace violence and workplace harassment.

Employers are obliged to keep employees safe, but are sometimes at a loss as to how to protect staff in situations where the usual WHMIS posters,protective clothing, and safe equipment don’t offerthe necessary protection.

PremierDaltonMcGuinty’sgovernmentintroducedthe legislation as a result of an inquest in response to themurderofnurseLoriDupontin2005.Dupont’sformerboyfriend,Dr.MarcDaniel,stabbedhertodeathattheHôtel-DieuGraceHospitalinWindsor,Ont. The facility was aware of repeated and escalating harassmentbyDaniel,ananesthesiologist,butfailedtodisciplinehimandfailedtosupportMsDupont.The pair was actually scheduled to work together on the day he killed her.

The costs of workplace violence and harassment are high, both for the victims and their employers. Workplaceviolence inALLworksettings isoneofthe only categories of crime that is NOT in decline.

The domestic violence provisions, unique to Ontario’s legislation, are also addressed in theAct requiring employers to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers when they are aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, that domestic violence may occur in the workplace, and that it would likely expose a worker to physical injury.

“I can’t believe I have to fillin another #!%#*!!# form. You people don’t want to help, you just want to make my life a living...”

“Sir, if you can’t use polite language,we’re not going to serve you.”

“You haven’t served me yet, unless you call three weeks of delays, endless bureaucracy and no straight answers some kinda service... “

“Exaggeration won’t make your case go any quicker, sir, if you follow the instructions on the back of the form...”

“If I have to come in here again, it’s going to be your very worst day, next time I call and get that voicemail, I’m coming right down here and every body’s going to be sorry, got it?”

“Phew, that guy’s a definite nut bar, every time he comes in here, my heart jumps into my throat, nothing makes him happy, and if I really do tell him to get out, he’ll write the mayor or somebody and I’ll be in deep doo-doo. They oughta give us helmets and flak jackets for heaven’s sake. You know what the supervisor will say: ‘if you can’t stand the heat, getout of the kitchen’...you don’t want tobe the complaint queen.”


Defining Workplace ViolenceAny definition of workplace vio-lence must encompass the full range of behaviors that can cause injury, damage property, impede the normal course of work, or make workers, managers, and customers fear for their safety. At the low end of the workplace violence continuum lie disruptive, aggressive, hostile, or emotion-

ally abusive behaviors that generate anxiety or cre-ate a climate of distrust, and that adversely affect productivity and morale. These could potentially es-calate into more outright physical violence.

Organizational responseand compliancewith Bill 168There is a flurry of offers, material and services of-fered to organizations seek-ing compliance to Bill 168from‘DoItYourself’kitstoHumanResourceandLegalConsultations. All of them recommend that every orga-nization do the following:

Create and conduct a workplace violence risk as-sessment:

Employers are required to assess the risks of workplace violence that may arise from the nature of the workplace, the type of work or the conditions of work. Employers should develop a response plan for each risk identified.

Performingareviewofallincidentreports and distributing a survey or interviewing employees on safe-

ty concerns and perceptions are some of the best practices identi-fied with physical (the workplace premises) and operational (the way work is performed) safety audits. CS

49


Create a workplace violenceand harassment program:This program will address the risks identified in the assessment including procedures, training and security protocols or infrastructure (locks, lights, signage...) to reduce or prevent violent incidents at theworkplace.Knowingwhattodowhenconfront-ed with violence or harassment and knowing what should happen next is empowering for employees fac-ing such situations.

Create policies to respond to workplace violence and harassment:It is essential to create procedures for all employees (mobile as well as static) to report incidents of work-

place violence / harassment or threatsof violence. These policies should clearly indicate how an employee can summon immediate assistance or refuse work when feeling at risk, and the process for filing a complaint. The employers investigative process should be clearly outlined for employees and managers as well as step by step timelines for dealing with incidents, threats and complaints. The same policies must be posted at the workplace, be made available to all elec-tronically, and presented to all staff in training sessions.

Create tools and processesto implement the program:Comprehensive documents for com-plaints, investigations and other types of communication are imperative to this strategy. All employees need to know

what form needs to be filed, what information needs to be written and to whom it needs to be given. All forms and documents need to be carefully designed so that they stay user friendly and yield as much information as possible to conduct a useful investigation. In larger firms, employee committees can be created with the specific intent of reviewing all existing documents or for the creation of new ones.

Creating a renewal processRisk should be reviewed annually at a minimum. Risk alsoneedstobere-assessedwhenanewordifferenttypeofviolenceisidentifiedintheworkplace;ifanewfacilityisbuiltorrenovated;oriftherearesignificantchanges in the way business is delivered or the type of clientele.

The worst mistake an organization could make would be to think that this is another piece of legislation whereawait-and-seeapproachmightworkbestforthemoment. This approach is in breach of the legislation and could result in fines up to $500,000 to companies andupto$25,000or12monthsimprisonmentforin-dividuals.

Organizations are encouraged to visit the follow-ing sites for more information, tool kits and other relevant documents:

Ministry of Labour’s Guideline Workplace Violence and Harass-ment: Understanding the Law http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/eng-lish/hs/pubs/wpvh/index.php

A Toolbox of Resources and Templateshttp://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pdf/wvps_toolbox.pdf

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety http://www.ccohs.ca

Domestic Violence Doesn’t Stop When Your Worker Arrives at Work: What Employers Need to Know to Help http://www.hchsa.on.ca/products/free_resource.shtml

About the Authors:SteveHall isapartnerattheStrategicImprovementCompany(www.sicsecurity.com)andalongtimeconsultantfortheCanadianTrainingInstitute.Stevehasbeenworkinginthefieldofsafetyandsecurityforover25years.Experiencedincustom-ized training design and delivery, facility aidits and risk assessment, Steve assists businessesandagenciesinimplementationofBill168strategies.Stevecanbereachedat647.454.1742orshall.sic@telus.blackberry.net.

GordonMackScott,alsoapartnerattheStrategicImprovementCompany,hasmorethan30yearsexperienceinlawenforcement,investigationservices,educationandconsultingwithbusinessandsocialagencies.HehaslecturedatCentenialCol-legeandYorkUniversityandpresentedatnationalandinternationalconferences.Hecanbereachedat416.707.0419orgmscott@telus.blackberry.net.

CS

the Worstmistake an

orGanization Could make Would be to think that this is another pieCe of

leGislation Where a Wait-and-see

approaCh miGht Work best for

the moment.

My newspaper likes to print bold headlines about crime. Last summer, I happily read articles titledCrime Rate Continues to Drop, Canada’s Crime Severity Declines, and Crime Rate Has Sunk 22% Since 1999. These stories made me feel safe, and proud to beCanadian. But Iwondered about thedata behind the stories.

There are three groups of people involved in crime: criminals, victims, and legal professionals. If we could get the right information from all three groups and merge it appropriately, then we could get an accurate pictureofcrimeinCanada.But,wecan’tgettherightinformation. Although we can question victims and legalprofessionals, it’s impossible toquestionactivecriminals.Wecan’t identifyallactivecriminals;wecan only identify those that have been convicted of an offense.Evenifwecouldidentifyactivecriminals,it’snot likely that their information would be reliable.

Statistics Canada does an excellent job of questioning legal professionals. Every year, they survey all 208 police jurisdictions in order to generate crime rate and crime severity statistics.

Statistics Canada does a good job of questioning crime victims. Every five or six years, about 25,000 randomly selected Canadians over the age of 15 are surveyed by telephone. They are asked about a broad range of topics. One of the topics is about the extent, nature, impact, and consequences of their crime victimization.

about one-thirdof all Crimes

Committed are not brouGht to the

attention ofthe poliCe.

©copyright iStockphoto.com | aquaspects


By Alison Weir, PHDDepartment of Mathematicaland Computational Science

University of Toronto Mississauga

Unfortunately Statistics Canada does not merge the information in these two surveys. When the information is merged ashockingstatisticresults–aboutone-third of all crimes committed are not brought to the attention of the police. My newspaper headlines were about crime rates and crime severity indices, as reported by the police. My newspaper headlinesdidn’tcontainanythingaboutthe one-third of all crimes that didn’tmake it to the police.

Crime rates are the most commonly used measure of overall crime activity. Most people think that a low local crime rate indicates a safe community, and a high local crime rate indicates an unsafe community.

Crime rates are calculated by taking the number of criminal incidents that the police consider closed, dividing it by the population size, and then multiplying theresultby1,000.Crimeratesdon’tdifferentiate between serious and less serious crimes. An act of mischief carries the same weight as a homicide. Crime rates are high if there is a high volume of less serious crimes. Canadian crime rates do not include criminal traffic offences or drug offences.

Crime ratesdon’t differentiatebetWeen serious and less serious Crimes.

Crime severity indices (CSIs) were introduced in Canada in 2007. Even though they are a recent innovation, we have the data to calculate them for previousyears.TheideabehindaCSIissimple;it’sa crime rate that differentiates between serious and less serious crimes. To calculate a CSI we need a weight for every crime. We want serious crimes to be important, so we need them to have large weights. We want smaller weights for less serious crimes. The weights adopted are the product of two numbers: the percent of those convicted who receive jail time and the average jail time for those who get it. The weights make sense, since almost every criminal gets a lot of jail time for a serious crime. The weights are held constant for five years, then they are recalculated using court sentencing data for the previous five years. Since the weights change every five years, the index isscaledsothat2006valuesare100(thisissimilartothescalingintheConsumerPriceIndex).CSIsinclude criminal traffic offences and drug offences.

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CSIs are calculated by first multiplying each crime by its weight, then summing all of these products, then dividing the total by the population size, and finally scaling the result so that 2006values equal 100.

Victimization rates tell us how many people are victims of crime. If all crimes are reported to the police, then the crime rate and the victimization rate should be almost equal. They won’t be exactlyequal since some crimes, like a double homicide has two victims, whereas other crimes, like cannabis possession, have no victims. Butif a lot of crimes are not reported to the police, the crime rate will be noticeably smaller than the victimization rate.

Victimization rates are calculated by taking the number of people who report being victims of crime, dividing it by the sample size, doing a bit of statistical magic, and finally multiplying the result by 1,000. Victimization rates don’tdifferentiate between serious and less serious crimes. Victimization rates are calculated for an aggregate of all violent offences. They are also calculated for individual violent crimes such as theft of personal property. The majority of victims, whodidn’treporttothepolice,saidthey thought their crime wasn’tserious enough to report.

Statistics Canada calculates crime rates, victimization rates, and CSIs nationally, provincially, and for metropolitanareas.Let’shavealookat the three indices, split by province, for 2009. This gives us a snapshot of Canadian crime in 2009, but I don’t think it’s a particularly goodsnapshot. There could be big changes to the pictures if we could find out abouttheone-thirdofallcrimesthatare not reported to the police.

Figure 4 shows the combination of victimization rate and crime rate. Each dot represents data for one province. Notice how the dots are scattered about the straight line. This line tells us that in 2009 provincial crime rates were about 62%ofvictimizationrates.Itlookslike 38% (or a little bit less sincesome crimes have more than one victim) of crimes were not reported to the police. About one-thirdof all committed crimes were not reported to the police.

Figure 1National Crime RatesOverall, the total crime rate has decreased from 1998 to 2009. The violent crime rate has remained virtually constant since 2000.

Figure 2National Crime Severity IndicesTotal CSI has decreased from 1998 to 2009. Violent CSI has remained fairly constant.

Figure 3National Victimization RatesViolent victimization rates have remained fairly constant from 1999 to 2009. Theft of personal property has increased from 1999 to 2009.

Figure 4Provincial Crime Rates and Victimization Rates 2009There is a positive linear relationship between these two indicators of crime incidence.

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Table 12009 Crime Indices

Table 1 contains a lot of numbers. It’s probably best to summarize these numbers graphically. Have a look at Figures 5, 6, and 7.

Some interesting conclusions can be made whenwecombinetheinformationinFigures5, 6, and 7,withthenumbersinTable1.

The most obvious conclusion is that crime incidence and victimization is worse inWesternCanadathanitisintherestofthe country.Figures5and6showthatOntario’sand

Quebec’s crime character is not the sameastherestofCanada–theyhaveahigherproportion of violent crime. Figures 6 and 7 show thatManitoba’s,

NewBrunswick’sandOntario’svictimizationrates are not in character is not the same astherestofCanada–theyhaveahigherproportionofnon-reportedcrime.Let’scomebacktomynewspaperheadlines.

Those headlines made me feel safe. They summarized crime rates and crime severity indices, and at first glance these numbers tellmehowsafe I should feel. But furtherinvestigation taught me that crime rates and crime severity indices can’t include thehuge number of “dark crimes” that are not reportedtothepolice.NowIknowthatwecan’t measure safety using police-reportedstatistics,we simply don’t have the data todoit.Idon’tknowwhattypesofcrimegounreported in my neighbourhood, I don’tknow if I still feel safe. CS

Figure 5Total CSI 2009 Observe higher

levels of violentcrime in the west,

particularly high inSaskatchewan and Manitoba.

Figure 6Total Crime Rate 2009

Higher crime ratesin the west.

Lowest total crimerates in Ontario

and Quebec.

Figure 7Victimization Rate 2009

Higher victimization ratesin the west, with the

exception of New Brunswick.

Total CSI 2009

Total Crime Rate 2009

Victimization Rate 2009


55


Glebe Chambers,63 Pamilla Street, Ottawa, K1S 3K7

613-238-7200

BARRY J. HOBIN & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS INCORPORATED

THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA FORMING ATTITUDES TOWARDS MENTAL ILLNESS

By: Kismet Baun

©copyright iStockphoto.com | syldavia


57

The often negative ways that the media portray mental ill-

nesses, is something of which many mental health con-sumers are painfully aware. Distorted and demeaningimages of mental illnesses when presented to the pub-lic shape their attitudes and, in turn, influences their be-haviour. When those images are unfavourable and inaccu-rate, as they often are, they contribute to the stigma and discrimination that represent barriers to treatment and re-covery. Movies, television, news-paper articles and books often present people with mental ill-nesses as dangerous or unstable. Despite notable exceptions likethe Academy Award-winningfilmABeautifulMind,mostof-ten novels, films and television continue the representation of people with mental illnesses as unpredictable,child-like,hyper-sexual, dangerous, evil and vio-lent. In popular fiction, “mental cases” commit violent crimes.

On television, they are violent and murderous—both in dra-ma and comedy shows. Slasher movies give birth to multiple se-quels.Batman’sfoes,theJokerand thePenguin, are “insane.”Evenchildren’sliteratureisrifewith mentally ill villains. In the HarryPotterbooks,onecharac-ter is termed “mad” and hence deemed “a danger to anyone who crosses him.”

All too often, the media use sensational language that tends to perpetuate myths and stereo-types regarding mental illness, promote fear in the community

and lead to irrespon-sible conclusions be-ing drawn.Provocativemainstream newspaper headlines such as “Ter-ror, mentally ill threat-enGames”transformsahealth issue into a pub-lic safety issue and capi-talizes on the fear of violence and irrational-ity that lack of under-standing about mental illness can cause. Per-

sonsidentifiedasmentally-illareall too often embraced by the media as the secular version of the devil, transmogrified into the out-of-controlmadmanbentonarampage of seemingly inexplicable death and destruction. In reality, mental illness is a poor predictor of violence. The majority of peo-ple who are violent do not suffer from mental illnesses. As a group, mentally ill people are no more violent than any other group. In fact, people with mental illnesses are far more likely to be the vic-tims of violence than to be vio-lent themselves.


59

Currentresearchshowsthatpeoplewithmajor mental illness are 2.5 times more likely to be the victims of violence than other mem-bers of society. It is estimated that one in ev-ery four persons with mental illness will expe-rience violent victimization every year, a rate that is eleven times higher than the rate of vio-lent victimization experienced by the general

population.Mentalillnessplaysnopartinthemajority of violent crimes committed in our society. The assumption that any and every mental illness carries with it an almost certain potential for violence has been proven wrong in many studies. Recent studies have shown that alcohol and substance abuse far outweigh mental illness in contributing to violence. A1996HealthCanada review of scientific

articles found that the strongest predictor of violence and criminal behaviour is not major mental illness, but past history of violence and criminality. Such factors as age, gender, sub-stance abuse and educational level are, among others, significantly greater contributors to vi-olence than mental disorders. The conditions which increase the risk of violence are the same whether a person has a mental illness or not. Mentalillnessisoftenviewedasararephe-

nomenon that happens only to a special group of (flawed) individuals unlike ourselves. Butin fact, inCanada,mental illness isthesinglelargestcategoryofdiseaseaffectingCanadians.OneinfiveCanadians,orupto20%ofthepop-ulation, will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. One in three will suffer from a severe and persistent mental illness, and one in eight will actually be hospitalized. So it is, in fact, not that faceless group over there but it is our neighbours, our friends, our loved ones, and perhaps even ourselves.

Stigma is defined in the dictionary as a “mark or sign of disgrace or discredit.” The word stigma is derived from the Greek word ‘stigmatos’meaningmarkmadebyapointedinstrument, a brand signifying the marks that were pricked onto slaves to demonstrate own-ership and reflect their inferior social status. The1999SurgeonGeneral’sReportonMentalHealthidentifiedstigmaasoneoftheforemostobstacles to improved mental health care today, noting that “Stigma tragically deprives people of their dignity and interferes with their full participation in society.” Stigma in relation to people with mental illness can be understood as a combination of problems of knowledge (ig-norance), attitudes (prejudice) and behaviour (discrimination). Simply put, stigma refers to anattitude. Discrimination is thebehaviourcreated by that attitude.

Stigma is burdensome. Added to the weight of already painful and sometimes overwhelming psy-chiatricdisordersisthehurtofotherpeople’sdis-dain,dislikeandavoidance.Mostmentalhealthconsumers admit that the stigma that accompa-nies the mental illness is worse than the illness it-self.Notonlyisitdifficultforthosewithmentaldisorders to face a world that misunderstands and

devalues them, but it is also isolating. Stigma also has the power to undermine the search for treatment. Those who are reluctant to acknowl-edge their disorders are also likely to delay (or avoid altogether) seeking appropriate (psychiat-ric) help, because that treatment will itself mark themasundesirable.Fearofdisclosuremayleadthose with mental illnesses to themselves increase theirdistancefromothers.Fearofunfavourablepublic responses and of losing friends, further-more, often leads to an additional burden – the burdenofkeepingone’sillnessasecret,ofbearingit silently, of fearing disclosure. Mental illness stigma also leads to discrimi-

nation in housing and reduced employment op-portunities. Lack of safe, affordable, available housing contributes to homelessness, which then adds to the burden of mental illness the chal-lenge of daily survival. Inadequate, unhealthy living conditions and increased stress are hardly conducive to improved mental functioning. Re-duced employment opportunities leads to pov-erty.Povertyaffectsnearly1.8millionOntariansand is both a cause and a consequence of poor mentalhealth. Peoplewith seriousmental ill-ness may have difficulty over their lifetime secur-ing adequate education and employment, due to barriers such as stigma and discrimination and recurrence of symptoms. These barriers, in turn, affectone’sabilitytohaveanadequateincome.As a result, individuals with a serious mental ill-ness often drift into poverty. Shortages of afford-able housing, inadequate income, and exclusion

from quality education and employment alienate individuals from life in the community. Exclu-sion from these economic supports significantly increases the risk of chronic poverty.

Attitudes and impressions of the public around issues relating to mental illness are, largely, shaped by persistent negative patterns created and perpetuated by the media. The mass me-diaarefarandawaytheCanadianpublic’spri-mary sources of information concerning people identified asmentally-ill. For better orworse,the media in our society shapes our ideas of what the world and its members are like. Stud-ies have shown that exposure to even just one single shocking media image (one movie or read-ing one article) of violent mental illness seemed to increase the expectation that those labeled as mentally ill are particularly likely to do physical harm to others and to make the media consumer more fearful of those so labeled.

The end result is that the public begins per-ceiving those with mental illnesses as a “different” group or kind of people, and it creates further barriers to communication and understanding and sets up the perfect conditions for stigma and stereotyping. It is difficult to feel good about oneself when confronted by constant messages that people with mental illnesses are flawed, dan-gerous, disapproved of, and disliked. And among the effects of viewing oneself portrayed again and again in a demeaning and unfavourable way are hurt and anger.

We need, as a society, to continue to strive to reduce and eliminate the stigma and dis-crimination that so many with mental illness experienceintheirdaytodaylives.Let’sfaceit--peoplecananddorecoverfrommentalill-ness if provided with the supports and services necessary to facilitate and nurture a sense of hope, wellness and a belief that tomorrow will be better than today. CS

“…up to 20% of the population, Will experienCe a mental illness at some point in their lives. one in three Will suffer from a severe and persistent mental illness, and one in eiGht Will aCtually be hospitalized.”

Kismet Baun is a Senior Communications Advisor at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)

for more information visit: CMHA.ca


61


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thenew

epidemic among youth

AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)nearly a mil-

lion people worldwide commit suicide each year. Out of that number,about30,000peoplereportedlykillthemselveseachyearinthe United States. Also, suicide has been found to be the third leading causeofdeathforpeopleintheagerangesof15-24.Youngpeoplearemuchmorelikelytoattempttoorcommitsuicide

due to their inability to cope with a variety of factors they often find themselves unable to control.

One factor that makes teenagers feel helpless, hopeless, and defence-less is when they are bullied or harassed by others repeatedly. The emotional and mental turmoil that bullying causes its victims to ex-perience gives these individuals a false perception that they have been permanently trapped by the abuse of their bully or bullies. Teenagers often have trouble seeing past the present situation at hand, so when they experience this type of extreme rejection by their peers, that bullies often influence, they are less inclined to view the abuse as a temporary situation.


63

Teenagers that experience being bullied are more inclined to perceive the emotional abuse given by bullies as something that will never go away. Teen-age victims of bullying often do not realize that theywilleventuallygraduatefromhighschool;age

andbecomeanadult;orthatthe bully will not be around tobullythemalways.Becausemany teenagers are unable to see past their current circum-stance they are more inclined to see suicide as way of ending a temporary situation.

Teenagers that find them-selves contemplating suicide, usually portray some warning signs prior to attempting to killthemselves.Eventhoughmost teens typically portray several warning signs, some teens may not potray any

outward warning signs at all.Although face to face bullying among teens at

home and school can cause teens to turn to suicide asawayoutorawaytoendabuse;cyber-bullyingcan provoke teens to commit suicide as well. Cy-berbulling is often more humili-ating and traumatizing to teens victimized online, because perpe-trators can easily post unwanted pic-tures, videos, and even share private information of their victim with hun-dreds to thousands of people online.

Social network sites that teens use to harass other teens are Fa-cebookandMySpace,forexample.Teen’s also frequentlypost embar-rassing videos of their victim on YouTube.TeensoftenusetheYouTube website to post videos of their peers being physically assaulted, in order to humiliate their victims and entertain their peers.

When teens record and post such videos, the tem-porary humiliation that the victim experienced is then automatically extended and repeatedly relived when other teens watch and continue to remind the victim of the assault or how they failed to win a fight initiated by their aggressor. Such an experience often causes teens to contemplate suicide or even at-tempt to commit the act.

Often teens bully others online by spreading vi-cious rumors and by namecalling. Teenagers that al-readyhavelow-self-esteemorsufferfromdepressionare much more likely to contemplate suicide when they experience this type of harassment.Teenagebullyingcan’talwaysbestoppedoreven

prevented no matter how protective parents are or whatanti-schoolbullyingpoliciesareimplemented.But the rate of teenage suicide attempts can beprevented as parents and school administrations become more knowledgeable of warning signs that teens show when they are contemplating suicide.

such aneXPerience often causes teens to contemPlate suicide or even attemPt to commit the act

cyberbulling is often more

humiliating and

traumatizing to teens

victimized online

Personal experienceI too was once a victim of teenage bullying and I under-

standwhatitfeelslike;tofeelasifthereisnowayout.Iknow what it feels like to feel so hopeless until the concept of dying seems like a pathway to freedom out of the emotional abuse that had mentally enslaved me.

I also know what it felt like to have strong family support andbesurroundedwithpeoplethatcaredaboutme.HadInot had proper support, a temporary unpleasant experience could have become a permanent tragedy. I survived, I lived andthebullieseventuallydisappeared.HadIcommittedsui-cide I would have died thinking that suicide was the only way to be free. I would not have come to know that eventually I would move on and my bullies would one day be all gone and IwouldbecomeafeaturewriterforOvercomeBully.org.LatriciaWilsonisanOvercomeBullying.orgfeaturewriter.

If you are an expert in a field related to bullying in school or the workplace and would like to contribute to our efforts and promote your website or services please contact us for more information. CS


65


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SAfETY STARTS AT HOMEJoin us in building a safer Ottawa. Whether you’re one person or part of a community organization, you can support efforts close to home. How?

Get involved: Take part in efforts to combat violence against women, prevent youth gangs and empower young people. Implement safety initiatives in your own home or neighbourhood.

Use the Neighbourhood Toolkit: This practical guide offers tips and advice on dealing with issues such as drugs, identity theft, domestic violence and street racing. Access it on our website and learn how to start a Neighbourhood Watch program, organize a community clean-up, and much more.

Sign up for our newsletter: Find out about the latest crime prevention initiatives, events and other community safety news. Register on our website to receive our newsletter by email. www.crimepreventionottawa.ca

Working to build a safer city. Partnering to make it happen.

Crimesense Magazine - Spring 2011 - Eastern Ontario

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