FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 25, 2019 • KIDS & EDUCATION • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
kids & education
Courtesy BPT
Experts say it’s never too early to teach
compassion and empathy to children
Th e news is fi lled with articles about
the opinions and attitudes of the millennial
generation and now, Generation Z.
But what about the youngest generation -
youths 4-9 years old? Th ese children are
growing up in a time of unprecedented
access to information, when civility, kindness
and compassion have taken a back
seat to bullying and violence. Experts say it
is more important now than ever for parents
to seek learning moments in which
children can experience compassion and
empathy.
Th e Jensen Project is a program designed
to foster compassion, inspiration and courage
in young people as a path to avoiding
the bullying and sexual harassment prevalent
on college campuses. Th e program
examines the attitudes and opinions of
young people with the goal of inspiring a
gentler, kinder, more empathetic dimension
in their lives.
Janet Jensen, founder of Th e Jensen
Project, says, “Children are at their most
vulnerable when they are forming their
social skills. Th ey are a refl ection of what
they see and hear around them. Parents,
educators and media infl uencers need to
take extra care to teach compassion and
courage at an early age.”
Recent research conducted by YouthBeat
and commissioned by Th e Jensen Project,
asked youths ages 4-9 if they thought the
world would be a better place when they
grow up. Forty-one percent said yes, while
38 percent felt the world would be the same
or worse.
In an alarming statement about what
stresses them the most, death and bullying
each rose to the top third of concerns aft er
family and school issues.
Experts agree bullying is becoming a
critical issue at a younger age and must be
addressed proactively if future generations
will be able to reduce the incidents of harassment
and sexual abuse in colleges and
beyond.
Jensen off ers the following recommendations
for parents to raise children with
compassion:
• Children learn by example, so let them
join you in volunteer projects or encourage
them to get involved in age-appropriate
volunteering.
• Actively engage them in conversation
about behavior that is troubling to you,
whether it be playground taunting or
headlines in the news. Ask them why that
behavior is hurtful.
• Inspire children to select friends of all
races, creeds and economic status - not
just friends who look like them. Exposure
to cross-cultural families and friends
teaches tolerance and understanding.
• It’s been said before, but is worth emphasizing,
that monitoring a child’s exposure
to video games, live streaming and television
time is one way to reduce exposure
to bullying and violent behavior in entertainment.
Newscasts are fi lled with broadcasts of
murders, robberies, fi res, war, and political
corruption. Small children are taking
this in and processing it, along with their
visions of superheroes. Today’s youth
are the long-term future of our country,
Jensen says. Watching how the world
infl uences their thinking at a young age
is truly an investment in the future of the
country.
“Adults must become agents for positive
daily behaviors that can lead to long-term
change,” Jensen says. “Th e Jensen Project
is committed to providing the inspirational
resources to help make this happen.”
For more information about Th e Jensen
Project, go to www.thejensenproject.com.
/www.thejensenproject.com
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