Archive for 2012
Connecting With Students
A friend introduced me to the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) a few years ago, and at that point it was an acronym I never thought I would be writing or talking about. The concept intrigued me, being a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Psychology, we are taught to understand and accept the diversity of human behavior. CPTED highlights, to an extent, the malleability of behavior; it does not claim to fix dysfunctions, let’s leave that to the professionals. However, what CPTED does is capture the impact that minor changes in the environment can have on individual’s motivations to partake in socially undesirable behavior.
The subtle changes in individual motivations are what CPTED utilizes and it’s what makes it so valuable and adaptable. The socially acceptable norms about behavior change and what allows CPTED to stay connected is that it looks at what works; along side communities and other interest groups it establishes effective environmental changes that allow for positive interaction. This, unlike some research on human behavior, does not rely on research labs and allows for prompt changes.
The use of CPTED has a lot to offer and so does SeCure Consulting Solutions. I’ve been working as a volunteer student and have attended a course through the Calgary Police Service which focused on the main principles of CPTED and its’ application. Now a part-time project assistant, I feel I am part of something community focused and innovative.
Anna-Marie Cooke began working for SeCure Consulting Solutions as a student volunteer through Red Deer College and is currently a valued Project Assistant.
Say Hi and the Modern World
Spring has sprung and with all our good weather soon to arrive it’s a great opportunity to spread some good cheer. We are very fortunate to have author Frank Johnson, a regular guest writer for Smart on Crime in Waterloo Region contribute to our blog this month. Frank is a retired principal with the local Catholic School Board of Waterloo Region, a dad, and sometimes runner who possesses an irreverent sense of humour that periodically gets him in trouble. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario. Take it away Frank and thanks.
Each year, the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, along with its many partner organizations, sets aside a day where the focus is to simply say “hi” to people with whom we interact. It’s a simple concept that builds on the notion that it’s harder to victimize or stigmatize another person when you see them as worthy of a greeting. Much like the ‘golden rule’, it asks us to acknowledge another’s humanity by simply saying hello to them with a genuine smile.
Several years ago, when gaining additional qualifications as a teacher, I came upon the work of William Purkey, known as the founder of Invitational Education. His theory is that if schools (and by extension any organization) treats people with trust, respect, intentionality, optimism and caring, then embeds these concepts in their policies and processes, we will see more engaged and happier students and staff. The “Say Hi” program is the kind of intentional program Purkey would support. Simply greeting people each day and offering them a positive interaction creates happier places. Happier places are safer places because each person feels more of an investment in creating and maintaining the caring culture that results. We move from simply saying ‘hi’ to more of a relationship with another. We become connected and sociologists will tell us that the more connected we are, the safer we are. And one thing we can all agree upon is that we want to feel safe in our communities.
Based on the success of this venture I’d like to suggest we go a bit further.
How about pledging to keep our smartphones in our pockets, backpacks or purses when we sit across from people in a restaurant? How about we use this time to actually look into the other’s eyes, listen to what they are saying and not to whip the smartphone out like a cowboy preparing for a gunfight? Is it just me or have you noticed the same thing? Just yesterday I watched what appeared to be a happy couple waiting for their food to arrive. Each had their BlackBerry out and sat for several minutes responding to or sending messages with no interaction between them. It’s like the other wasn’t even in the same room. Think about it…how many of our messages/texts are so vital that they can’t be ignored for 30 minutes? Why not invest this time to chat about movies, books, the weather or perhaps even to explore shared or even diverse values and beliefs? Use that time to make or build upon a connection. A face to face connection that allows us to explore our commonalties and differences.
Maybe we could call it “Just Sit Tight”.
No commentsReaching Out for Our Youth
The beginning of this month has started like many marathons do, fast and furious. Although I don’t often run and prefer other methods of conditioning, I began February by attending the Alberta Gang Reduction Training Symposium in Edmonton, Alberta. It was certainly an honor to be invited to attend this special training which brought together community volunteers, leaders and practitioners from across Alberta to learn from some of our leading, community-based, gang reduction experts.
This symposium focused on ensuring that people with a track-record for mobilizing their communities received practical training and information from on-the-ground practitioners delivering promising and evidence-based gang reduction programming. Over the 3-days, there were many new relationships forged among those who truly care about reaching out to our youth. Guest speakers and government officials spoke about the importance of gang reduction and collaborating with each other on multiple levels. Darren Caul, the Director for the Alberta Gang Reduction Strategy referred to this as “skin in the game” and there is no doubt that there are some very high stakes involved – our youth. Read more »
No commentsI Am & We Are
This seems like a great way to kick off 2012 and share something special with all those that follow us through our blog or twitter. “I AM” is a great documentary that helps us realize that we are all connected. Since I remain passionate about communities and how we socialize on a daily basis I am excited to share this with you and hope you will do the same. I don’t often order videos in bulk to share with my friends and various organizations but this was an exception.
This film certainly got me thinking about a lot of things! How we connect with each other and how we can strive to improve this process is worth thinking about, especially from a community standpoint. There are some great things to ponder since the movies release, like how our communities and cities are designed. I Am suggests that we design them around the idea that we are separate. However, I would argue that we are getting much better at urban planning and are realizing the benefits of creating spaces that attract people to them and encourage ownership.
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