AMAYDA Resilience Program

The ARP is a unique program that takes a very deep probe into the underlying problems of bullying and mental health and addresses them in a holistic way, with the overarching principle of achieving the best outcome for everyone – including the perpetrator.

We believe that schools should be a place where students, teachers and admin staff feel safe, appreciated, respected, liked and happy, which is an ideal learning environment that improves academic performance.

A Defensive, Sustainable, Long-term Solution

The ARP is a very defensive and sustainable program that considers human rights, the law, and ethics, blending science and psychology to solve bullying situations in a simple way that reduces the likelihood of repercussions. The focus is on diffusion, negotiation, de-escalation, using a range of highly effective self-protection skills. The solutions prevent bullies from harming other students whilst minimising any harm to bullies. The strategies have been carefully crafted, so they are age-relevant, easy to learn, easy to remember and easy to apply, so students and bystanders know how to respond quickly and correctly in bullying situations, which is important because when people don’t know what to do in traumatic situations (e.g., a car accident or a bullying situation) they usually do nothing, i.e., they go into a mild state of shock. The sooner a student can get out of shock and into action, the better chance they have of a good outcome. Most emergency services personnel, when asked how they cope, usually say that the training kicks in and they just go into action. The ARP teaches students how to assess a situation and respond accordingly, to achieve the best outcome for everyone.

A sad statistic of bullying is that most children who bully are also being bullied. When students understand this vicious cycle of bullying and how bullying is negatively impacting everyone involved, they are eager to become part of the solution.

To change the culture at schools, everyone needs to be involved – students, teachers, admin staff and parents. After all, bullying and mental health affects everyone, so we’re all in this together.

Mental health

Our approach to mental health is focused on prevention and support through education. The WHO advises that mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders – it is about quality of life – the difference between existing and living.

Building relationships with others

As students develop their own self-worth, they will naturally improve their resilience and relationships with others, including fellow students, teachers, school admin staff, their siblings, parents, friends, relatives and the general community. Once they realise they are valuable and unique, they will also see the value and uniqueness in others. The more they respect themselves, the more they will respect others.

Developing the most important relationship in the world

Our resident psychologist provides insightful information to help students develop the most important relationship in the world – the relationship with themselves, as it is the one relationship they cannot avoid. It is also the only relationship they can be assured of having for their entire life and the foundation for all other relationships. A concerning statistic is that globally (and in Australia) suicide is approximately double the rate of murder, meaning there is about twice the chance of being murdered by yourself as opposed to someone else. The ARP works on the concept that every single person is valuable and unique and that no one is better or worse than anyone else – just different, with different talents and different dreams. Rather than compare themselves with others, they learn to focus on what is important to them.

How long is the program?

The ARP is conducted over ten half-hour lessons at primary school and ten one-hour lessons at secondary school, usually completed at one lesson per week during school hours over a single school term. It covers mental health improvement strategies, as well as practical and effective solutions to a very wide range of bullying situations, including verbal bullying, cyberbullying and physical bullying – and it does not stop at the end of the program, as the ARP provides ongoing support for students until they finish Grade 12.

We also continually monitor each school to ensure they stay on course.

We’re here to help

Email

info@bullyproofaustralia.org.au

1300 881 650

Open Hours

Monday to Friday 8 AM – 5 PM

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