News Release/Interview Opportunity
For Immediate Release
Trauma resulting from
unhealthy relationships is easier to prevent than to treat
Childhood problems, such as bullying, are precursors
to dating violence
Dr. David Wolfe appointed the first holder of
the RBC Investments Chair in Children's Mental Health and Developmental
Psychopathology at CAMH
(Toronto, Ontario --- October 7, 2002) -- Education for children and
adolescents about forming healthy relationships should be a public health
priority in order to prevent many societal problems including substance
abuse, unsafe sex, and relationship violence, says Dr. David Wolfe. Wolfe
has been appointed the first holder of the RBC Investments Chair in Children's
Mental Health and Developmental Psychopathology at the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health (CAMH). RBC Investments through the RBC Foundation funded
the Chair, jointly held with the University of Toronto.
Childhood problems such as bullying are precursors to dating violence
in adolescents, and spousal and child abuse in adulthood. When we see
the ensuing crisis situations, we rush to treat the effects of the harm.
Prevention, historically, hasn't had the same urgency. "Trauma is
preventable. We are not doing enough in that area. Funding generally goes
to treating the effects of trauma rather than its prevention," says
Wolfe.
With the creation of the RBC Investments Chair in Children's Mental Health
and Developmental Psychopathology, CAMH and RBC Investments are taking
steps toward ensuring that prevention becomes a more significant focus
in children's mental health.
When children act aggressively or bully their peers, we usually respond
with severe consequences such as suspension. "We wait for them to
do something wrong, then punish them," says Wolfe. "But these
things happen far too often to catch only the bad guys. When it comes
to physical safety issues such as not smoking or wearing seatbelts, comprehensive
public health promotion approaches involving education and supportive
public policies are in place. We need to take the same approach, including
widespread education on forming healthy relationships."
Wolfe will be conducting research at CAMH on universal prevention initiatives
that promote positive children's mental health, including developing curricula
for elementary and high schools that advances safety and violence prevention,
healthy relationships and harm reduction.
Wolfe joins CAMH from the University of Western Ontario where his work
focused on the effects of child abuse and neglect and prevention with
high-risk children and youth. He was formerly chair of the United Nations
Sub-Committee on Child Abuse in Peacetime and Chair, Violence and Traumatic
Stress Review Committee, US National Institute of Mental Health.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is the largest mental health
and addiction facility in Canada. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University
of Toronto and the World Health Organization.
RBC Investments is the global wealth management division of Royal Bank
of Canada (TSX, NYSE: RY), which uses the initials RBC as a prefix for
its businesses and operating subsidiaries and operates under the master
brand name of RBC Financial Group. Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest
financial institution as measured by market capitalization and assets,
and is one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies.
It provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services,
insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing
services on a global basis. The company employs 60,000 people who serve
more than 12 million personal, business and public sector customers through
offices in North America and some 30 countries around the world. For more
information, please visit www.rbc.com.
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For more information please contact:
Jean Geary
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation
416) 535-8501, extension 4395
Graeme Harris
RBC Investments
(416) 955-2734
Note to Editors
World Mental Health Day is Thursday October 10th, and the theme is The
Effects of Trauma and Violence in Children and Adolescents. Dr. David
Wolfe is available for interview and could discuss local and global trauma.
He could also discuss the ways in which parents can help youth form healthy
relationships and avoid unsafe sex, substance abuse and violent relationships.
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PDF
of the Wolfe Press Release
1-800-463-6273
