Course on empathy and victim awareness for teenagers

[Sued1]

Hi! I’m just wondering if anyone has come across an empathy course or victim awareness course for teenagers. Something that will teach them how the victim feels when being bullied and the impact of their actions. I’ve searched everywhere but to no avail... there seems to be a huge gap in this area.

[MaryRO]

Hi @Sued1,

What I found are articles and courses that are for people who are already quite sensitive.  This may not be helpful for you but I have posted the links in case you can put things together.  The recommendation is that ongoing counselling will help as it will take time to genuinely be empathic and will be a working progress.  Below are some links that I found.  I hope they help.

https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/things-to-try-bullying-behaviour/hel...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15374416.2020.1846541

https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/Selected%20Topics/Bullying/School_Based_Program.html

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-014-0135-6

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/30/no-quick-fix-improving-empathy-requires-prolo...

https://www.udemy.com/topic/empathy/

https://empathyacademy.org/

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/empathy-the-antidote-to-bullying

https://www.safetrac.com.au/product/anti-bullying-and-anti-harassment-course/?gclid=CjwKCAjw3pWDBhB3...

[Sued1]

Thanks very much for all these links Mary. I’ll have a good read.
Yes... I know it’s an ongoing thing, but I was just looking for a bit of an intensive course to start with. Something to get him to drop his guard down, be vulnerable and to talk to like minded people I suppose...
It seems that this sort of thing is readily available in the US, but it’s an area where there is a real gap here in Australia.😕

[MaryRO]

Hi @Sued1,

It seems that you may be correct about the gap.  There are courses for an adolescence if they use physical force/violence to influence others, however it is usually in the form of family therapy.  Have you spoken to the school to see if they can link him into a program? You may also want to seek advice or support from a local youth support network as they may know what local programs are running and/or can notify you when programs come around.  You may also try to make contact with your local family violence hub as they may know of programs for teens.  I'm not saying that there is family violence within your home, just thought there might be another place to look.  You may also want to speak to a youth worker, family services worker or any social worker as they should be in the know about these things or give you some direction as to whom you can ask.  You can also ask you child if the are interested in having a mentor and link him in.  Sometimes the police department have very good programs as well that you could look into.

[Sued1]

Thanks Mary but I really feel I’ve exhausted all avenues that I know of and they all say the same thing...‘great idea’ but the don’t know of anything. I’ve tried the police, a support worker from the Les Twentymen Foundation, a lawyer from Legal Aid as well as many calls to company’s online and the Juvenile Justice Dept. There’s programs for as you say, more violent offenders, but nothing for the base, so to speak. If I had the knowledge and the know how, I’d look into getting something started for this gap... but I have absolutely no idea how to go about it...😕🤷🏻‍♀️

[MaryRO]

Hi @Sued1,

It sounds like your search has been very comprehensive indeed. Sorry we couldn't help you more. All the best with this moving forward. I truly hope you find what is needed for him.

[Janine-RO]

Hi @Sued1 , 

I really agree with you that there's a big gap out there! There is one organisation that I've come across and done some training with that may fit into what you're looking for that I thought was worth a mention - Tomorrow Man  do a range of workshops/ courses on redefining masculinity, and they touch on all sorts of things, including building empathy,  bullying and how it may feel from a victim's point of view, and how to break down those walls and barriers and talk to mates about mental health. They have an amazing ability to connect with young guys especially in a really authentic, genuine and honest way.  They are so passionate about what they do, and I can definitely recommend them really highly if you think it's something that might fit what you're looking for. 

They've also participated in some podcasts that might be of interest. 

I think that @MaryRO 's suggestions of mentoring programs are also great - Raise  are one great organisation that run a lot of mentoring programs and have a focus on early intervention and empowering and educating young people. 

One last organisation I wanted to mention is BullyZero. They're an Australian charity who focus on bullying and its prevention and have some great resources on their site- they also run workshops in schools which look like they might be helpful. 

I hope these help a bit - your son's really lucky to have you in his corner. 

[Sued1]

Oh that sounds awesome! Thanks so much Janine! I’ll definitely look into that.

Thanks for your kind words.. I’m trying my best even though at times it can be very ‘trying!’😬😕