Courses From the Office of Violence Prevention

Extended Learning Opportunities

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Bullying: Being A Friend, Having A Friend...

Bullying is a form of violence and abuse that many children (as well as adults) experience. Bullying is an imbalance and abuse of power- who's got it, who doesn't, how can they get it, how can they keep it...children are counting on adults for help!Being A Friend ... is a research-based workshop that provides adults with helpful and hopeful information about ways to identify, prevent and respond to bullying when it happens in elementary school settings and support children in promoting positive, bullying-free friendships.

This workshop offers important information about those who are victimized, those who do the bullying, as well as those who are by-standers and what it will take to build a comprehensive school-wide, center-wide response!

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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Young Children and Bullying: Don’t Be Her Friend…You’re MY Friend!

What messages do young children receive about power, aggression, violence and bullying? Some research has indicated that aggressive behavior may in fact peak in the second year of life!

Out of 16,000 aged 24 months to 11 years the number of aggressive acts children carry out peak at the tender and ‘terrible’ age of 2! Aggressive behavior in a young child always means something – it’s an expression of a need.

This interactive workshop addresses questions like: Is toddler aggressive behavior developmental/normal? When does aggressive behavior become bullying? Is there a unique ingredient to look for in a toddler’s behavior to indicate a possible future in bullying? How should adults respond – what to say, what NOT to say, what works, what doesn’t work. Develop an action plan for promoting positive behavior!

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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Cyber-Bullying: Keeping Our ‘Connected Generation’ Safe

Over 17 million kids aged young people 12-17 are members of the ‘Always On’ generation. Ready or not, cyberspace is an extension of our community 24/7 and although, as one person put it, “pigs will fly before adults feel as comfortable with technology as their kids” it is important for caring adults to become informed about the potential dangers facing our ‘connected’ kids.

Leave this workshop with information, resources and understanding about how children might be victims and/or perpetrators of cyberspace bullying. Learn to recognize the dangers these exciting times can also present to the safety and wellbeing of our children and families. Leave with a plan of practical safeguards you can put in place to keep children safe.

BYO experiences! C U there!

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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Children Exposed to Violence: Bringing the Kids Back into Focus: A Community Response to Children’s Exposure to Violence (BKBF)

BKBF is a 5-module resource and training guide developed to provide caring adults with a science-informed, in-depth understanding of what childhood exposure to violence (CEV) is, how it affects young children, how adults can prevent CEV and reduce the negative impact when it does occur.

Grounded in CEV research of experts like Osofsky, Van Horn, Lieberman and Perry, this resource addresses the following: building public awareness; defining the roles families, community and culture play in CEV; understanding the effects of CEV on development; responding to CEV; and a practicum applying intervention strategies to a family case study.

It was designed for use by trainers, professionals and para-professionals and can be used as an independent education tool, or integrated into domestic violence, parenting education, or other existing community development curricula.

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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Click here to view this presentation in Spanish.

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CHOOSING NON-VIOLENCE: Towards a Violence-Free Future For Us All

One of the first violence prevention education approaches developed in the U.S., Choosing Non-Violence is a multi-session professional development training originally developed with early childhood professionals in mind but since its inception in 1987, has been successfully adapted for use by other interest groups like parents, emergency medical technicians, teachers, social workers, probation officers and others.

Choosing Non-Violence provides a guided process for participants to understand, through 4-5 sessions, the many facets of violence and how they intersect with their lives, how to develop positive non-violent coping mechanisms for stress, examine the effects of gender messages on our own violent response, understand how discipline and violence intersect and identify ways for adults to role model and teach children the choosing non-violence, healthy social-emotional language of feelings, conflict resolution and healthy friendships.

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children: It’s Not Always Happy At Our House

Millions of children are exposed to domestic violence (DV) in this country each year. There is a correlation between domestic violence and child abuse. Children and particularly young children who witness violence in the home often remain invisible and yet the effects of this exposure to violence on their growth, development and future quality of life can be dramatic.

Based on and informed by the domestic violence research accruing over the past 30 years, this workshop engages participants in exercises and activities to increase knowledge about understanding the dynamics of domestic violence as it relates to young children, identifying risk and protective factors, appreciating the potential physical, emotional, cognitive, social and behavioral effects of DV on children and their later functioning as adults, and helping adults better respond to children who have seen and heard violence in their homes.

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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Child Abuse and Neglect: Everyone Can Do Something

Every child has the right to a safe start in life- to feel secure from harm, danger and evil, free from risk and injury, protected. Abuse and neglect of children can be physical, emotional and/or sexual.

This workshop clarifies definitions and forms of abuse, identifies warning signs and appropriate responses when abuse is disclosed, outlines state law definitions, policies and procedures for mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect and what to expect after making a report.

Concluding on a hopeful note, this workshop offers an interactive activity to identify key child abuse and neglect prevention strategies that go on in our homes, neighborhoods and communities every day!

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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TAKE TEN: TALK IT OUT! WALK IT OUT! WAIT IT OUT!

A Violence Prevention Public Awareness Campaign

TAKE TEN is a grassroots, community organizing approach to violence prevention. A public awareness campaign concept, TAKE TEN is based on ten ideas and ten activities that can strengthen our understanding and practice of non-violence.

This workshop goal is to share the idea of TAKE TEN and what others have done with it to grow it and give participants time and support to apply the concept to their own family, class, school, faith community, neighborhood, recreational club, and explore what the idea could mean to their situation.

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

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Welcoming Places & Wakanheza: Insuring a Safe, Friendly Environment for Children

Welcoming Places is a program developed by colleagues at the Ramsey County Health Department in Minneapolis, MN that initially guiding community medical facilities to evaluate their space for and relationships with children to determine how child friendly they were. In a workshop setting, participants finish sentences like:

We believe it is important for children being served or visiting in our sites to…

that helps them identify what is most important for them in insuring that children feel welcome and safe.

In addition to evaluating their space, participants examine how and when children are addressed, how eye contact is made, tone of voice, how situations requiring discipline and setting limits are handled.

Over the years Welcoming Places has become an assessment tool for any environment where children might be- stores, social service, educational, childcare, and faith settings.

Minneapolis colleagues also shared Wakanheza with Chicago. Wakanheza is a Dakotan word that means “sacred” also translated as “child”. The philosophy of Wakanheza holds that if we regarded children as “Sacred Beings” and if our actions reflected this, our communities would be far more welcoming and supportive places for children, youth and families.

Wakanheza is an interactive workshop designed to help adults be supportive and positive in the public way when children and families might appear to be under stress – since these are times when children are at greater risk for abuse.

Over the years Welcoming Places paired with Wakhaneza have become tools for evaluating any environment where children might be- stores, social service, educational, recreational, childcare, community and faith settings.

Following is an introductory presentation to a full workshop the Office of Violence Prevention offers.

Click here to view this presentation.

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