The long-weekend is nearly here! August 2nd is a civic holiday for some people in Canada, and many will be out and about enjoying their free time. Some common pastimes for many Canadians include boating and fishing, so DEAL.org thought we would provide you with some helpful information before you head out into the sunshine!

Boating 101

• Within Canada, there are certain regulations that require anyone who drives a boat with a motor (AKA a pleasure craft) to have certain documentation or proof of competency in order to drive one, such as a license or operator’s card. Anyone who is born after April 1st, 1983 is required to carry this documentation, and there may be restrictions on what types of boats you can drive depending on your age (Transport Canada). For more information click here.
• If you plan to drive a boat this weekend, it’s always a good idea to be prepared in case of emergency: learn how to use the equipment and review the safety procedures for operating a boat. There are also a number of things that you should have in your boat at all times (depending on what type of boat you have), click here to see a complete list for each size/type of boat. Equipment includes things such as a flashlight and a life jacket for each person on board.
• Driving a boat while under the influence of alcohol is just as dangerous as drinking and driving a car. In fact, drinking and driving a boat can intensify the effects of alcohol, and your chances of having an accident could increase (Transport Canada). Besides the possibility of hurting yourself and others who are in the boat with you, there are legal consequences if you are caught driving a boat while intoxicated.
• There are also strict safety rules for boaters that police enforce while on the water. All people aboard your boat must be wearing a life jacket; if someone is not, you could face a fine of $200 or more (and you can receive a separate fine for each person violating the law) (Transport Canada). To learn more about this and other safety regulations, take a look at this website.

Don’t Forget The Worms!

Fishing is always a fun pastime, and it’s a year-round activity in Canada! Each province and territory sets strict rules when it comes to everything that has to do with fishing, such as: license requirements, the number of fish you are allowed to catch and keep, what type of fish you’re allowed to fish for and when, as well as restrictions on where you can fish. So if you’re an avid fisherman or woman, you can contact your provincial or territorial government for information on these regulations, and to find out about other fishing rules and laws.

Links

Transport Canada
Transport Canada: Safety Equipment
Transport Canada – Acts and Regulations
Criminal Code of Canada

A teen walks into a store wearing baggy clothing, has a tattoo and an eyebrow piercing. The manager of the store asks one of the employees to keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn’t steal anything. When the employee asks why he needs to watch him, his manager says, “He just looks like a troublemaker; someone from the wrong side of the tracks.”

All of us are different and unique in our own way, although sometimes people may judge us because of the way we look (and we may judge others for the same reason). Some of us who choose to express ourselves another way than what most people think is the “norm” are treated differently or looked down upon. When this type of discrimination is associated with our age, it is called ageism.

Breaking the Stereotypes

For as long as our world has been spinning around the sun, different cultures have been practicing their own unique traditions. Tattooing and piercing the body is often used to symbolize something, such as a persons’ status within a community. However, in some cases, tattoos and piercings are used as a form of punishment. For example: by branding someone who has broken the law, it makes the public aware that a criminal walks among them. Today, a stigma towards tattoos and piercings still exits in North American culture. Often those who change their bodies this way are seen as “deviant” or as belonging to specific sub-cultures such as the stereotypical “rocker” or “emo kid” (emotional), and these stereotypes can make the situation even worse. To us, tattoos and piercings can be a form of self-expression; to show the world who we are and what we’re proud of – not a reason to categorize or make assumptions.

Stereotypes & Ageism

Stereotypes are almost always linked with, and directly contribute to ageism. Ageism is when someone is judged or treated differently because of their age. Often teens who express themselves through tattoos or piercings are looked down upon or treated differently. In the example above, the teen that walked into the store was automatically stereotyped because of the way he looked, and therefore the store manager was being ageist towards him. This attitude is not okay, and it is up to us youth to help correct it.

What You Can Do…

Taking a stand and getting involved in your community can be the best way to help end stereotyping against youth. We can all work together to stop ageism in its tracks and give youth the same voice as everyone else. Talk to teachers, a guidance counselor or even your local community centre about ways you can get involved.

You can also try approaching those who are being ageist. For example, if an older relative makes an unfair remark about you in a conversation like “You don’t understand, you’re only a teenager,” question them about it. Sometimes the person who is making you feel discriminated against may not realize what they are doing, and approaching them and telling them how you feel can be a learning experience for everyone involved. You can also check out the links below for more great ideas!

Starting your own initiative is another way you can help battle ageism. Check out our Project Planning Guide for a step-by-step guide on how to start your own project. You can even read about inspirational youth initiatives that have already been put into action across Canada. If you do decide to start your own initiative against ageism, let us know and we can post it on our site!

Links

Media Awareness Network – Stereotypes
Youth Infusion
Apathy is Boring
Youth Services Bureau

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re an avid participant in the internet world, who loves going online to explore and connect with friends. The internet is an awesome piece of technology that has made our lives easier and more convenient. We have the world at our fingertips: instant messaging with friends, emails, online games, webcam-based chat and an endless amount of information is all available to us. Despite these positive advances, some people may take advantage of this means of communication and try and exploit others. So being informed on how to properly set our online privacy settings can help us ensure our internet experiences are positive ones!

Privacy Settings

Privacy settings are controls on social networking websites which allow you to change and adjust the information that people see on your profile. Managing these settings allows us to get the most out of our online experience (by sharing photos, videos and information with close friends and family), but at the same time preventing those you don’t know from seeing this information.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can control your privacy settings on a couple of the more popular social networking sites…

Facebook vs. Myspace

Facebook has recently updated its privacy controls to allow users to have an increased amount of control over the privacy of their online profiles. However, users must go in and set these settings for their profile. These new settings allow users to determine who sees what information on their profile. Users are able to set specific privacy controls for an individual person on their “friends” list, letting them pick and choose the information they wish to share with that person.

There are various areas in your profile where you can control your privacy settings. These areas include the sections; basic information, contact information, and other categories such as: status updates, tagged photos, wall posts, etc. For each of these categories you can decide who you want to see this information; friends, networks, friends of friends, etc. Basically, you can choose to share your information with a very small number of people, or you can make your profile visible to a wide number of people you may not know (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada).

You can also adjust who sees you in a public search on Facebook (friends, non-friends, those in your networks) and what information they are allowed to see when they search for you, such as: your picture, contact information, or even your whole profile. Those who you have in your “friends” list will always be able to find you in a search ( Privacy Commissioner ).

Myspace is another website that allows users to adjust what people see on their profiles. For example, you can decide whether or not to display your birthday to those on your “friends list.” You can also decide whether to allow everyone on Myspace to see your profile or to limit visibility to just your “friends”, etc. ( Privacy Commissioner).

Myspace users can regulate the amount of spam they receive, as well as notifications they receive for things like emails, friend requests and event invitations. Users can also decide whether they want to receive notifications or share their personal information for applications that their friends have installed. Here, you are also able to see what applications you are using on Myspace as well as the ones you have blocked ( Privacy Commissioner).

There are more areas on Facebook and Myspace that you can adjust to suit your privacy preferences. You can also contact those who work for these websites if you have any questions or concerns about your privacy settings. For information on additional social networking sites, click here.

For more information on internet safety, and to learn how to set up a safe profile, visit our Knowzone section!

Links

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Safety tips:

Facebook
Myspace
Nexopia
Hi5

By “piracy,” we don’t mean roaming the ocean on a ship looking for treasure! The type of piracy and counterfeiting we are talking about is intellectual property crime, which is the illegal usage, manufacturing and distribution of copyrighted products and/or trademarks. Essentially it means copying, creating and selling products that aren’t legally your own (RCMP). If you own intellectual property (copyright, trademark and/or patent), it is against the law for someone else to sell or distribute it without your permission (Intellectual Property Office). The main difference between “piracy” and “counterfeiting” is that piracy involves copyright violation, where as counterfeiting involves trademark violation (Intellectual Property Office).

Intellectual property crime could involve things such as bringing a video camera to a movie theatre and taping a movie, as well making and selling copies of this recording. Another example would be selling fake designer bags or knock-off Nike T-shirts.

Sharing music files online, or uploading music is in fact illegal. However, downloading songs from the internet for your personal use is not. Although, in some cases it may be considered copyright infringement, and you can be sued by an artist or recording company (RCMP). To see more examples of piracy and counterfeiting, click here.

Carrying out these activities can have serious legal consequences under the Criminal Code and the Copyright Act. These activities also affect the Canadian government, businesses and industries, because they lose money when people make and sell fake products, often forcing legitimate retail stores to close their doors (RCMP).

Some of the potential dangers of buying counterfeit products can involve electrical malfunctions and devices catching on fire, or products containing dangerous ingredients (RCMP). Click here to see more of the potential risks of purchasing counterfeit goods. If the product’s price is much lower than it should be, or if the product is packaged poorly and includes spelling mistakes, it may be counterfeit (RCMP). Check out this website for more ways you can identify counterfeit goods.

For more facts about counterfeit goods and for information about who to contact if you suspect a product may be counterfeit, check out this RCMP web page. You can also talk to a police officer for more information.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is essentially using someone else’s ideas or work and passing it off as your own, without giving that person proper credit. This includes things such as taking information (word for word) from a textbook, or paraphrasing a journal article where the wording is very similar. Some people are unaware that plagiarism can also include things such as ideas in oral presentations, or even buying an essay off of the internet (Concordia University). Many times, we don’t intentionally copy another person’s work or ideas. Sometimes we just don’t know the proper way of citing and referencing information to credit its appropriate source.

For example, in every online blog or resource that DEAL.org writes, we are careful to make sure that we give credit to every piece of information we use that is not our own. In doing so, we are sharing valuable information with you, and at the same time giving credit to those who provided the information and deserve it! Want to know more about how we avoid plagiarism? Ask us!

To see more examples of plagiarism, visit this website and click here to learn ways to properly cite resources. Most university websites also have information on plagiarism and proper ways to cite your sources.

If you are caught plagiarizing in high school, more often than not, teachers will help you better understand this issue and how to avoid it. It is important to learn how to cite your work and understand this topic now, because if you decide to attend university or college and are caught plagiarizing, they will not be as lenient (many universities will give the student an “F” in the course, or kick them out of the school altogether). Talk to a teacher at your school for more information on ways to avoid plagiarizing your work.

Bottom line: If you use information that is not your own, cite or reference it. An easy way to remember this would be to think to yourself, “Did I come up with this idea/information?” or “Was it me who came up with these facts or data?” If not – reference its rightful owner!

It’s always important to educate ourselves on the laws and regulations related to things that matter to us. The more we know, the better we will be able to make informed decisions. Being honest and fair with things that may not belong to you is the best way to show your true character!

Links

RCMP
RCMP : Reporting Intellectual Property Crime
Interpol
The Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network
Canadian Association Against Software Theft
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition
inmovies : “The Hurt Locker” Lawsuit
Concordia University
plagiarism.org

Regardless of our age, every intimate relationship has its flaws; every couple has issues they work on together that make them stronger. However, one issue no one should have to deal with is dating violence.

Dating violence is an intentional violent attack (whether physical, sexual or psychological) on one partner in a relationship. Victims of dating violence might experience one incident of dating violence, like a sexual assault, or it could be an ongoing pattern of many incidents of different types (Public Health Agency of Canada). Between 2004 and 2008, there has been an increase in the number of police-reported dating violence incidences, for both males and females of all ages (Statistics Canada). More than 80% of victims are reported to be female, and this statistic is even higher for those between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age (Statistics Canada). Also, studies have shown that youth between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest risk of dating violence incidences, and this age group is reported to have the highest number of victims (43%) compared to other age categories (Statistics Canada).

In order to prevent dating violence, it is important to recognize warning signs in both your own relationships and those of your friends.

Possible warning signs of dating violence*

• Acting jealous and possessive
• Keeping you away from your family or friends
• Deciding how you should dress or act
• Hitting, kicking or pushing you
• Using guilt or manipulation to get you to do things you don’t want to do
• Insulting you, degrading you, humiliating you
• Forcing you to have sex

(Courtesy of Kids Help Phone)

If you have committed acts of abuse…know that there is help available for you. There are people and resources available in your community, as well as counseling services that can help you learn to manage your anger or any other issues you may be facing. You can also call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 (it’s toll free & anonymous). Making the step forward to get yourself help, will allow those in your life to feel safe and have some peace of mind. Ultimately, if you do not seek help, know that if charged and found guilty, someone who is violent in a relationship can face serious consequences including imprisonment.

Possible signs someone may be a victim of dating violence*

• They stop participating in things they enjoy

• Have little or no interest in family activities

• Have difficulty sleeping

• Not be able to concentrate

• Experience memory problems

• Start missing school more

• Experience a drop in their grades

• Have unexplained cuts, bruises, burns, scratches, etc, or;

• Have low self-esteem, depression, withdrawal and/or nervousness

(Courtesy of Department of Justice Canada)

If you think you may be a victim…you should know that it is not your fault and seeking help is the best way to escape a situation like this. Talk to a trusted adult, school guidance counselor, teacher or police officer. They can provide you with the information and resources necessary to get through this difficult time. You can also call the Kids Help Phone.

No one is allowed to hurt you physically, sexually and/or psychologically. It may seem like the impossible to leave someone you may care for, but remember that if they truly cared for you, they would treat you with love and respect.

Click here to learn about the “Cycle of Violence” – a critical factor in dating violence. You can also check out this website for “Myths and Realities”. Also, if you think your friend is in an abusive relationship, click here for more information. The earlier we become aware of the factors surrounding dating violence, the better prepared we will be to handle this situation if we are faced with it one day.

* Note: Some of these signs alone may not necessarily mean that someone is an abuser/victim. However, if you are concerned about someone’s behavior in a relationship, talk to a professional or trusted adult.

Links

TeensHealth
breakthecycle.org
Public Health Agency of Canada
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General: British Columbia
loveisrespect.org
loveisrespect.org : stories
seeitandstopit.org
Statistics Canada