Workshop to 'bullyproof' young participants in Bathurst

​A new workshop in Bathurst called "Bullyproof" aims to teach school-aged children confidence, conflict resolution, and help them to develop a thick skin.

"I was telling the kids this morning, marshmallows are really easy to penetrate and get to the core, right?"said the Bathurst Youth Centre's activity coordinator, Mark Lavigne

"This week is to try to build that thicker exterior so words can't penetrate."

Lavigne learned of the program from his friend, a martial artist in Nova Scotia. Throughout the week, several guest speakers will coach the children, including a mental health advocate, social workers, yoga instructors, and a police officer.

As a judo coach and instructor, Lavigne often sees young children struggling in school because of low self-confidence and conflicts with other children.

He believes the solution is to stand up for yourself, and become resilient enough to deal with bullies.

"There's a line there ... bullying is one thing. Social dominance is one thing. Hitting is another thing," said Lavigne.

"That's not longer bullying anymore. It's criminal. No one has the right to hit you. You have the right to defend yourself."

'It held me back a lot'

Fourteen-year-old Maddison Jenkins is an eager participant in the "Bullyproof" workshop, and brings years of personal experience to the workshop.

"I went through a lot of petty girls coming up to me and calling me inappropriate names and being pushed into lockers," said Jenkins, who cut her school days down to half-days in order to escape the aggression.

"​It held me back a lot. I didn't try out for much, didn't do as much as I wanted to ... and it caused me to not want to do anything. I just stayed home and stayed in bed."

Through judo lessons with Lavigne, and participation in other sports and activities, Jenkins says her social interactions are improving.

"I kind of just brush it off and don't let it get to me," she said.

The workshop will focus on self-care and positivity, as well as self-defence and conflict management.

Local mental health advocate, Brett Boudreau, spoke to the children Tuesday afternoon.

"I learned through many years of experience dealing with mental illness. That itself was a metamorphosis in terms of going through a negative mind-set, having low self esteem, to slowly building up my confidence," said Boudreau.

"What we feel emotionally is drawn from our thoughts, so if we constantly tell ourselves negative thoughts that's going to create a negative mindset."

The children enrolled in "Bullyproof" have already become more confident, according to Lavigne.

"After the first day, several of them came back with other friends," he said.

Organizers of the workshop at the Bathurst Youth Centre hope to turn the week-long program into an annual event.