Monday December 19, 2011

Community

Dealing With The Mean Behind The Screen

Empowered By Horses helps bully-proof pre-teen girls

Submitted by Sharolyn Wandzura, EBH

 

Empowered by Horses co-founders Carla Webb (R) and Sharolyn Wandzura with a pal in the paddock.

 

ullying in the school yard is a regular occurrence. 86% of children between the ages of twelve and fifteen say they get teased or bullied at school. Girls are significantly more likely to bully socially and twice as likely NOT to report being bullied. Vancouver has recently been reported to be the Cyber bullying capital of Canada. With these horrifying statistics, how does a parent prevent this all too common and devastating phenomenon?

 

Empowered By Horses facilitators, Carla Webb and Sharolyn Wandzura, offer a free educational presentation where you will learn the “Three Simple Steps to Bully Proof your Pre-Teen Girl.”

 

For many pre teen girls, back to school this September means back to being bullied. Bullying affects more than just the one being bullied. It has far reaching effects on the families of the bullied as well as entire communities.

 

Horses are social animals who not only provide a unique perspective in teaching girls school yard survival skills but also a platform for them to thrive into adulthood. Situated on a quiet seven acre farm, nestled in Abbotsford’s Mount Lehman, nature’s classroom provides plenty of opportunity to observe and feel the connection horses have interacting with each other.

 

“Herd dynamics,” says Wandzura, “teach compassion, love, belonging and leadership. It’s about being part of a herd — having a place to belong — while celebrating your uniqueness and the uniqueness of others.”

 

With over 40 years of combined equine experience Carla Webb and Sharolyn Wandzura know the incredible learning that horses can share. “The biggest by far,” states Webb, a former Vancouver Police Officer “is boundaries. While horses can be assertive they also like to know who is in charge and, by extension, who can be pushed around.

 

There is nothing more inspiring than witnessing a young girl incorporate the concepts we teach by respectfully asking an 1100 lb horse to back out of her space with confidence.” Imagine how empowering this type of experiential learning is for girls who face bullying in our communities!

 

 

About Empowered By Horses

There is a big difference between knowing or remembering something from a book and experiencing it. Empowered By Horses offers unique programs that teach personal power and build self-esteem. Real and lasting changes are made as girls see the reality of their decision making reflected by a herd of horses.

 

Empowered By Horses, based on Equine Guided Development teachings, provides a natural environment where girls are inspired to discover their true potential on a foundation of compassion and courage. Carla Webb and Sharolyn Wandzura are passionate about working with and empowering young girls seeking the light of success.

For more information contact:

 

Empowered By Horses - Carla Webb

Call: 604-809-3494 or e-mail here

Connect: on Facebook here.

Visit: www.empoweredbyhorses.com

 

 

Learn To Spot It

What Is Bullying?

 

“Bullying is a conscious, willful, and deliberate hostile activity intended to harm, induce fear through the threat of further aggression, and create terror.”

 

Bullying is a learned behavior that can be observed in children as young as 5 years old. There are changes and warning signs that you need to be aware of to prevent your daughter from experiencing ongoing bullying.

 

Warning Signs

#1 CHANGES IN SCHOOL

  • She looses interest or refuses to go to school.

  • She takes unusual routes home from school or to activities.

  •  Her grades begin to decline.

#2 CHANGES AT HOME

  • Withdraws from family activities and wants to be left alone.

  • Is taking money from you and is making up confusing reasons and excuses on where it went.

  • Appears sad, sullen, scared or angry after receiving an email, text or phone call.

  • Does something out of character.

  • Stops talking about peers and everyday activities.

  • When she does talk about peers, she uses derogatory or demeaning language.

#3 PHYSICAL CHANGES

  • She is hungry after school saying she lost her lunch money or wasn't hungry at lunch.

  • When she gets home from school makes a dash for the bathroom (she feels the bathroom in the school is not a safe place to be).

  • Her clothes are disheveled, torn or missing.

  • She has physical injuries that are not consistent with her explanations.

  • She has stomachaches, headaches, panic attacks, anxiety, sleeps a lot or very little and is exhausted.

 

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