Media releases

• Brock Cares Day of Service continues tradition of giving back

  Thursday, September 05, 2024 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: September 5, 2024 – R0106

  Brock students will cap-off their first week as Badgers by making a positive impact across the Niagara region during the University’s largest volunteering day.

  Taking place Saturday, Sept. 7, Brock Cares Day of Service brings together volunteers from across the University to participate in projects that address community need.

  This year’s activities include providing support for local seniors and individuals with intellectual disabilities, community beautification and clean-up initiatives, digitizing regional historical documents and more. As in past years, one of the volunteer projects is Brock’s Welcome Wagon program, which aims to greet new and returning Brock students and help them build positive relationships in their communities.

  Jenna Moorhead, Community Experience Co-ordinator and lead of Brock Cares, said supporting organizations such as the Thorold Museum, Niagara Dog Rescue, Habitat for Humanity Niagara and Heartland Forest Nature Experience helps volunteers learn more about their community while also establishing a sense of belonging and connection within it.

  “We know that Brock students are intelligent and thoughtful people who value giving back, so what better way to end a fun-filled week of learning about your University than by helping out in your community?” she said. “Brock Cares connects them to community partners and the services they provide, including how they can work with them to impact their community in a meaningful way.”

  The day begins at 11 a.m. in Jubilee Court, where participants will enjoy a free lunch and be given their Brock Cares T-shirt. Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini and St. Catharines Deputy Mayor Bill Phillips will also provide remarks before volunteers are transported to their host site for an afternoon of giving back.

  After an action-packed day, the volunteers are invited to take part in a barbecue at the Battle of Beaverdams Park in Thorold. The event is hosted by the Thorold Business Improvement Association and will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Volunteers can attend for free, but all members of the Brock and local communities are invited and can purchase a ticket for $5.

  The Sept. 7 event also kicks off the University’s volunteer program for the year, with monthly Brock Cares Days of Service running from October to April and providing continued opportunities to give back to the community. That also includes the annual Brock Cares Volunteer Fair, held Thursday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Market Hall. The event welcomes local community partners to campus and allows students to network and learn more about volunteer opportunities.

  “Intentionally placed within Welcome Week, Brock Cares orients our students to the broader Niagara community, connects them with other like-minded students and sets the tone that volunteering is part of the Brock student experience from the moment they arrive on campus,” said Kristen Smith, Manager, Off-Campus and Community Experience. “Students can select projects based on personal interest or area of study, while also meeting needs that have been identified by our community partners.”

  Student Life and Success is also launching its 60 Community Stories for Brock’s 60th initiative during Brock Cares, in celebration of the University’s milestone anniversary. These stories, intended to highlight the long history of reciprocal community engagement between Brock and organizations in the Niagara region, will be featured on Instagram from September to June. More information about the project and details for submitting a community story can be found on the Student Life website.

  For a full list of Brock Cares volunteer opportunities and registration details, visit the Brock Cares ExperienceBU. Community organizations interested in participating in the Volunteer Fair can find out more and register on Eventbrite.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University sackles@brocku.ca or 289-241-5483 

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock experts discuss ways to address bullying and create kindness in youth

  Wednesday, September 04, 2024 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY: September 4, 2024 – R0105

  Returning to school can be a highly emotional experience.

  While many children and youth are excited about seeing their friends and resuming school activities, others are filled with anxiety and dread at the prospect of yet another year of ill-treatment.

  “Bullying is a serious form of aggression that involves an individual who is unable to defend themselves against their aggressor,” says Professor of Child and Youth Studies Tony Volk, who is a member of the Brock Research on Aggression and Victimization Experiences (BRAVE) research group, one of Canada’s largest teams of child and youth bullying experts.

  For children who are the victims of name calling, shoving, rumour mongering, teasing, social exclusion and other forms of violence, “negative effects such as depression, anxiety and worse can last for decades,” he says.

  And this violence is not restricted to in-person encounters.

  In a World Health Organization report he co-authored earlier this year, Professor of Epidemiology William Pickett and his team found online bullying is on the rise, with one in six school-aged children and youth experiencing cyberbullying in the 44 countries examined.

  Additionally, the report says one in eight teens surveyed reported cyberbullying others and one in 10 teens having been involved in physical fights.

  “These findings serve as a stark reminder that despite some improvements, violence in many forms remains prevalent in our young people, and this remains an important focus for public health, clinical and educational efforts,” says Pickett, who co-leads the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Canada.

  Also increasing is incivility in general, which can pave the way to bullying, says Volk. This includes behaviours such as interrupting, cutting in line and being rude.

  The flip side to rudeness, bullying and other anti-social behaviours is kindness, a skill that needs to be intentionally cultivated in children and youth, says Professor of Education Sandra Bosacki.

  The Director of Brock’s Theory of Mind in Education (ToME) Lab and her team are exploring what kindness means to youth to see how they view treating others and themselves with respect, compassion and care.

  “Such life skills can help with important life transitions — especially during adolescence such as the start of secondary school,” Bosacki says, adding that being kind to oneself and others also helps youth feel less stressed, more connected to their friends and family, more compassionate and confident about their performance.

  She says her team’s research has found teens who spend less time on social media are also more likely to have kind self-thoughts, understand others and feel more connected to their friends.

  Ways for youth to develop kindness and compassion include spending time in nature, reading fiction, playing with pets, watching a funny movie or reading a funny book, trying a new recipe or other activities away from their phones and computers, she says.

  “Parents can serve as role models by staying off their phone, avoiding ‘phubbing’ — ignoring someone nearby and paying attention to a phone instead — and showing ways to have fun together and be mindful of the moment,” says Bosacki.

  Volk says parents can help their children avoid being a victim of bullying, stand up for those who are bullied and, most importantly, not engage in bullying themselves by:

  • Making sure their children are happy at school and helping them to foster positive friendships.
  • Teaching their children the value of co-operation and helping others who are in need, which must also happen at the school level.
  • Setting the example that winning isn’t everything and that “being a good person matters more than being the best.”

  “Parents need to be very mindful that children watch what they do and how they treat others, so if a parent acts like a bully, supports bullies or looks up to them, they can expect their child to do the same,” he says.

   

  Brock University Professor of Child and Youth Studies Tony Volk, Professor of Epidemiology William Pickett and Professor of Education Sandra Bosacki are available for media interviews on this topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University sackles@brocku.ca or 289-241-5483 

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  Categories: Media releases