Ontario encourages healthy relationships
|
LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO
STAR |
Shannon Grant, 13, and
Sophie Tassone, 13, receive an incoming call from a boy while discussing
the Equality Rules website. The website was created to raise girls'
self-esteem by providing advice on dealing with difficult social
situations that young girls face in today's
society. |
Campaign approach includes website,
advertising
Nov. 17, 2006.
TESS KALINOWSKI AND LOUISE BROWN
By the time they're 8, many girls
already see themselves as second-class citizens.
That's why the province is now targeting girls from 8 to
14 in a $1.4 million campaign on dating violence and sexual harassment, said
Sandra Pupatello, Ontario's minister responsible for women's issues.
The campaign, announced yesterday, encourages equal,
healthy relationships between boys and girls, and includes an
interactive website and
ads.
Pupatello said she was surprised at how early the seeds
of abuse are planted in children through negative self-images.
In fact, the campaign had to be reworked after it was
realized through focus groups that material was needed for both teens and
younger girls.
While most of the click-on scenarios feature boys
bullying girls, some young females surfing the site last night suggested there
should be messages about girls bullying girls, too.
"Girls being mean to each other happens every day — one
actual fist fight between girls broke out at school this fall," said Sophie
Tassone, 13, who tried out the activities with classmate Shannon Grant.
The various Web scenarios show boys insulting,
controlling or ridiculing girls, and then suggest how girls can respond when
that happens.
Their favourite was a cartoon about a guy harassing a
girl through text messaging "UR Hot!" — something Shannon said "relates to our
life at this age."
"Guys are always messaging girls telling them they're
hot, and if it happens 24/7, it can get creepy."
"A lot of guys do think they're better than girls,"
Sophie said, "and it's really annoying, so everyone can relate to these scenes
in some way."
At times, the girls said, the advice goes too far — like
recommending a girl call Kids Help Phone, the national toll-free advice line, if
a boy is harassing her by text-message.
"That's not realistic. I'd just tell my girlfriends,"
Shannon said.
But the website "does help girls know they're not the
only ones with this kind of problem," Sophie said.
Pupatello said yesterday the government was "astounded by
8-year-olds that have already determined in their own mind that they are the
lesser of the sexes."
"It is quite unbelievable to think that 8-year-olds have
realized they're just a girl and therefore they're destined to be the lesser in
a relationship," she said.
"We've got to change that view because that ultimately
drives the kind of relationships you'll have in your lifetime. Governments
historically have always dealt with the issue of domestic violence after the
fact. If we don't get to the root cause of these issues, we're never going to
make headway."
The campaign features a television and movie theatre
commercial, and a website,
EqualityRules.ca, designed
to teach girls how to recognize abuse and regain the upper hand in negative
encounters and relationships.
At EqualityRules.ca, the section aimed at preteens asks
whether girls and boys can be friends. Ten-year-old Emily Gale says, "Sure! I'm
friends with a boy — Gavin — and so is my friend Erin, although in my class,
girls and boys don't really play too much together."
The Grade 5 student at north Toronto's Maurice Cody
Public School visibly enjoyed surfing the new website last night, clicking on
cartoons that deliver straight-talking messages against "men bossing their wives
around and hitting them."
"I think some boys should go on the website, too. It
would be good for them to see what it says about respect and healthy
relationships."
The government campaign also includes $1.2 million in
grants to community groups set up education programs.
_____________________________________________________________________________