PEP Talk: Intermediate / Program Themes and Activities
Getting Help & Barriers
- Who are the people you could go to if you had a worry or problem or if you wanted to get help for a peer?
➢ Mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, sibling, cousin, etc.
➢ Teacher, social worker, guidance counselor, principal, etc.
➢ Community/religious leader, babysitter, neighbour
➢ Agencies/resources such as Kids Help Phone - What are some of the barriers you may encounter when trying to get help for yourself or others?
➢ People’s reactions – they might get angry or might not believe what you have to say
➢ Past experiences with getting help – you have tried to get help in the past and the situation got worse
➢ Uncertainty about what will happen next – feeling anxious about the consequences of telling (e.g., reactions of adults and/or peers)
➢ Family and cultural influences and taboos – you have been told that certain things are meant to be kept in the family and not spoken about outside
➢ Safety of self and others – you might be afraid getting help could cause more harm
➢ Power dynamics – the person who is harming you or someone has power over you and you are afraid of their reaction if they find out you are getting help; you don’t want to put the person who is hurting you in jeopardy; you are being threatened or bribed
➢ Loyalty – you are trying to protect someone from the consequences of getting help or the person who told you about their problem asked you to keep it a secret - Why is it important to break barriers to getting help?
➢ Getting help is not snitching because it concerns your safety or the safety of another
➢ Even if adults have told you to mind your own business when trying to help another, it is everyone’s business to get help for yourself and others
➢ It’s true not all adults know how to help and that is why it is important to keep telling until you get the right kind of help
➢ Problems can get bigger without help
➢ Even if you had a bad experience with telling, chances are the problem will worsen if you do not get help
➢ You might be worried about what happens after getting help and there is a chance that things may get a little complicated and won’t be fixed right away, but eventually things will get better
➢ The person harming you or another is telling you to keep a secret so that they do not get into trouble for their actions
➢ If a person is threatening you to not tell, there is nothing stopping them from following through on threats even if you don’t tell. It is important to get help from trusted adults for your safety or the safety of the person you are getting help for
➢ By telling, the person doing the harm is no longer allowed to control the situation - What are some ways for assessing “tricky” social situations?
➢ Listen to your “gut” or intuition to assess if you feel safe in the situation
➢ When the situation does not feel safe, get help from a trusted adult
➢ Some situations are really tricky and you may have wished you responded differently or got help earlier. Do not blame yourself as it’s not your fault. Get help from a trusted adult as soon as it is safe to - What are the various ways you can get help?
➢ Having a private conversation with a trusted adult
➢ Texting/e-mailing a trusted adult
➢ Going with a friend to talk with a trusted adult
➢ Being persistent, keep telling until you get the help you need
➢ Community resources such as Kids Help Phone (e.g., speaking to a KHP counsellor over the phone, through online chat, or text*)
**Kids Help Phone will be able to see your phone number and will keep a record of your texting transcript. Please see their Privacy Notice: https://kidshelpphone.ca/terms-service-privacy-texting/

