CALGARY – A Southern Alberta woman is making it her mission to curb bullying in schools.
According to Statistic Canada, 41 per cent of students in grades four through seven reported either being victims of bullying or bullying others themselves on a monthly basis.
Kari Fulmek wants that number to drop to zero and she has some big friends to help her accomplish that.
For the past two years, Fulmek has been coaching youth through obstacles in and out of the equestrian arena. She encourages victims of bullying to work together with their tormentors on an equal playing field.
“They go out to this arena and these big, ginormous horses are out there that are 1,200 to 1,600 pounds. That’s intimidation immediately,” says Kari. “A bully is low self esteem and a child who’s being bullied it’s also low self esteem.”
Week after week, the focus is different. While the ground work lays the foundation for building healthy, respectful relationships, there is also a classroom component and each teen keeps a journal.
“Sometimes you catch something in a journal then you call back the centres, the schools, and say, you know what Joseph is having a little bit of an issue with blah, blah blah,” says Kari.
Registered psychologist Patrick Keelan says reporting bullying to teachers, parents and even peers can help stop bullying and prevent victims from suffering in silence, even years after the bullying stops.
“Self esteem, depression, anxiety, problems in relationships, a person can be haunted for many years. The more it goes on a long term basis where the child feels that there’s nothing that a child can do, the more likely it’s going to lead to those severe negative effects including violence and suicide.”
Kari hopes by helping the kids build healthy relationships with her horses they can apply what they’ve learned to everyday life.
“If you respect the horse, he’ll respect with that I’m telling him to do.”
For more information on anti-bullying programs available for youth visit www.bullyfreealberta.ca.
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