Expert Alert - Stay away from me! Bullied children and the health risks they face

Canadian Institutes of Health Research experts discuss how bullying can affect your health

OTTAWA, Oct. 16, 2013 /CNW/ - Providing a safe and healthy environment for children is a priority for many parents and schools. Although we have evolved and educated ourselves as a society, the percentage of children who report being bullied at school in Canada remains high - and higher than average among industrialized countries, according to a recent UNICEF report. In Canada, 35% of teens aged 11, 13 and 15 said they were being bullied at school at least once in the past couple of months. Some experts believe installing cameras in schools is part of the solution to tackling bullying. Others reinforce the importance of teaching assertiveness to children, so they can stand up to a bully who is being aggressive or insulting towards them.

Reducing the dramatic physical and psychological damages of bullying is at the centre of several CIHR-funded research projects. Health experts are available to discuss their findings and anti-bullying strategies.

Experts:

Overcoming violence - the long-term effects of victimization on your health
Dr. Joy Johnson, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health (Vancouver, BC)

Stop mocking my pink shirt! Addressing homophobic bullying
Dr. Line Chamberland, CIHR-funded researcher (Montreal, QC)

The efficacy of school-based anti-bullying efforts: building a bigger and better tool box
Dr. Shelley Hylmer, CIHR-funded researcher (Vancouver, BC)

Beyond the school walls - Cyberbullying and disclosure of personal information online
Dr. Jennifer Dwane Shapka, CIHR-funded researcher (Vancouver, BC)

Those are nasty words! Stress and anxiety in bullied children
Dr. Isabelle Ouellet-Morin, CIHR-funded researcher (Montreal, QC)

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

SOURCE: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

For further information:

To schedule an interview, please contact: 
David Coulombe
CIHR Media Relations
613-941-4563
[e-mail]