Growing the roots of empathy

Sometimes the simplest lesson can lead to the most powerful learning. That’s the case with the Roots of Empathy program. The lessons are so simple a baby can teach them. In fact, a baby does teach them, for the most part.

Roots of Empathy (ROE) is a program that helps children ages 4 to 14 develop empathy for others.

Empathy is the ability to identify with another person’s feelings. It’s the knack for seeing and feeling things as others see and feel them. Here’s the really great thing about empathy: As it goes up, racism, bullying and violence tend to go down.

Growing the roots of empathy

Sometimes the simplest lesson can lead to the most powerful learning. That’s the case with the Roots of Empathy program. The lessons are so simple a baby can teach them. In fact, a baby does teach them, for the most part.

Roots of Empathy (ROE) is a program that helps children ages 4 to 14 develop empathy for others.

Empathy is the ability to identify with another person’s feelings. It’s the knack for seeing and feeling things as others see and feel them. Here’s the really great thing about empathy: As it goes up, racism, bullying and violence tend to go down.

The Roots of Empathy program is the brainchild of Mary Gordon. She is a kindergarten teacher and former administrator of parenting programs for the Toronto School District. Gordon believes the ROE program lessens aggressive behaviours in children and will eventually lead to more caring, peaceful and civil societies.

The ROE program may be simple. But it’s anything but simplistic.

In a ROE program, a neighbourhood infant is “adopted” by a school classroom. Classrooms range from kindergarten to grade 7. Once a month for a full school year the baby and parent visit the classroom. A certified ROE instructor coaches students to interact with the baby and observe its needs. Infants can’t say how they feel, so students must figure out why the child might be upset, angry or happy.  Students learn to describe the baby’s feelings and help to identify ways to solve his or her problems. 

But something much more than that happens.

In figuring out the baby’s emotions, students learn a vocabulary for discussing their own. They also gain a greater understanding for how their actions might affect the feelings of others.

Teachers are reporting a noticeable improvement in behaviour and empathy in the classroom and schoolyard. And what teachers are seeing is what researchers are also finding in formal studies of children involved in the ROE program. 

For example, the University of British Columbia conducted a study in 2002 on the ROE program. They found that, for children who were violently aggressive before starting the program, 88 percent showed decreased aggressive behaviour compared to only nine percent of children in the control group. While ROE doesn’t focus on changing students’ aggression, in the end, that is one of the major benefits.  The study also found that the ROE program enhanced the children’s emotional understanding and positive social skills.

Begun in 1996, there are currently over 722 ROE programs running in eight provinces across Canada reaching over 18,000 students. Pilot projects have also begun in the United States, Japan and Australia.

I invite you to find out more about how Roots of Empathy is impacting children in British Columbia. Please attend a public forum on Monday, December 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Terrace room at Two Rivers University (formerly UCC) Campus activity centre. For more information on Roots of Empathy please visit www.rootsofempathy.org.

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