Red Cap Program Helps Children Manage Anger and Prevent Bullying

Each year, on the last Wednesday of February, Canada celebrates Pink Shirt Day. On this day, many people take a stand against bullying.

Red Cap teaches participants to manage emotions through games

A key aspect of bullying prevention and reaction is teaching children how to manage their emotions before they lead to conflict. The Salvation Army’s Red Cap program does exactly this through fun games and activities. The program is open to children between the ages of eight and 12 and runs for eight weeks.

“The program was suggested to me and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.”

Paula Gonzalez from Kitchener, Ont., enrolled her daughters in Red Cap. She witnessed the improvements it had in her children’s behaviour.

“We have been using The Salvation Army’s services for many years. The program was suggested to me and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome,” Paula says. Her oldest daughter was 12 when she took part in the program, and the youngest was eight. Both were having trouble socializing at school and dealing with the emotions that came with that.

“I wouldn’t say my children were bullied, but they were having confrontations and fights at school,” Paula adds. “Social media has made the relationships between children and teens complicated.”

Red Cap gave Paula’s children tools to learn how to react during frustrating situations. She says the games they participated in encouraged competition that was likely to enact strong emotions. This approach seemed to work.

“These types of programs are important to support parents with the education of their children.”

“To tell you the truth I was not sure if the program was going to help, but I’ve noticed, especially with my youngest, that it has opened a lot of doors for her. The program gave her a lot of confidence and she was then able to make more friends at school.”

As for her oldest daughter, the program taught her ways to control her temper. Learning to understand their feelings better also helped both girls raise their self-esteem.

As parents, Paula and her husband say that this program helped them. She shares that Red Cap is accessible in terms of cost and serves as an aid when it comes to their children’s development.

“We have to realize that community is crucial to help children grow,” says Paula. “Kids are not just raised at home; they are raised within a community. These types of programs are important to support parents with the education of their children.”

By Juan Romero