Red Cap helps children learn coping skills

by Maritime
Categories: News Archive
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    Children excitedly run up to receive their hat and certificate during the Red Cap graduation ceremony, at South Woodside Elementary School in Dartmouth, N.S. Red Cap is an anger management program geared towards children aged 8-12, run by The Salvation Army. It is directed as a school club for about 1 ½ hours during the lunch period, over the course of ten weeks. Red Cap provides an opportunity to offer communities something that they really need, anger management for their students.

    “The children grow and benefit so much from what they learn, and even more so as the program catches on,” says Mary Paula MacEachern, Principal at South Woodside Elementary.

    Anger is a normal part of life, and many children and adults do not have positive opportunities to practice dealing with anger. There is nothing wrong with feeling angry; problems only begin to arise when people do not deal with their anger properly

    “I work with at-risk youth, and I believe in the importance of helping children learn to deal with their anger in healthy ways at a young age,” says Brea MacEachern, volunteer in the Red Cap program.

    Poor coping skills can lead to hurtful conduct such as vandalism, self-harm and violence. Teaching students how to manage their anger can significantly reduce the amount of violence within a school, and community. The Red Cap club provides the opportunity for young people to learn how to manage their anger.