Imagine No Bullying

Imagine No Bullying

The Canadian Red Cross has instilled the trust of the Saskatchewan Roughriders to help deliver their violence and abuse prevention (RespectED) program to schools across Saskatchewan. Each year, players are trained to become a RespectED Educator and they are certified to deliver a specific RespectED program. The Riders deliver the “Beyond the Hurt” program, it explores all aspects of bullying and harassment in schools.

Developed and delivered in concert with youth, this two-hour program examines:

• All types of harassment and bullying- personal, sexual, and the abuse of power and authority.
• Interpersonal power issues.
• The rights and responsibilities of individuals.
• Intervention and prevention issues, including through the law and school policies.

Former and current Rider players Dan Clark, Eddie Steele, Jorgen Hus, and Spencer Moore stood up against bullying and became the 2017 Red Cross Imagine No Bullying player ambassadors. These players travelled to each corner of the province delivering the Red Cross Beyond the Hurt anti-bullying presentations to communities and schools. After the player presentations, the Red Cross offers in-depth youth facilitator bullying prevention training and adult facilitator bullying prevention training.

In 2017, Red Cross’ prioritized reaching more schools in rural areas. Of the 54 communities that were reached by Roughrider presentations throughout Saskatchewan, quite a few of those were brand new communities that had not previously received an Imagine No Bullying presentation. Furthermore, we recommended that schools engage students in grades four and up, so that the Rider could tailor their bullying prevention/healthy relationships message and dialogue to be more age-appropriate.

The program reached 18 940 students in 84 schools within 54 communities province-wide.