Allyson Watson told us about Roots of Empathy, a school-based program that decreases bullying and aggression in students as well as increases pro social behaviors. A volunteer parent and infant are the heart of the program visiting a classroom 9 times in one school year along with an instructor who attends 2 additional classes for each family visit.
The baby becomes the centre for learning empathy and emotional attachment allowing children to explore what they think and how they feel. This interaction increases positive social behaviour and decreases aggression and depression. They develop empathy for others, both cognitive empathy, understanding the perspective of other people, and affirmative empathy, the emotional perspective.
www.rootsofempathy.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?