Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Many children show disruptive behaviours such as aggression, defiance, and rule-breaking. These behaviours can cause serious difficulties in school, family life, and relationships. Unfortunately, many families struggle to access clear, accurate, and trustworthy information about disruptive behaviours, and many are unaware that effective treatments exist. This delays help-seeking and contributes to stigma, misunderstanding, and unmet needs. This project aims to address that gap by partnering with parents to create and share evidence-based knowledge about disruptive behaviours. The project has two goals. First, we will form a national parent advisory board composed of caregivers of youth with disruptive behaviours, including racialized parents and those in fathering roles. This group will identify key gaps in public understanding, set priorities for communication and future research, and ensure that parent voices guide the project. Second, we will co-create and share a series of short videos and infographics that explain core disruptive behaviour concepts (e.g., symptoms, effective treatments) in plain language. All materials will be available in English and French and be accessible to screen readers. The parent advisory board will inform both content and dissemination to ensure resources are relatable, inclusive, and widely discoverable. By using a participatory, parent-led approach, this project will create trustworthy tools that empower families to understand disruptive behaviours and seek help early. It also supports open science by making research findings publicly accessible. Materials will be shared through diverse channels to reach as many families as possible, with particular attention to those who have been historically underserved. This work helps bridge the gap between science and families, promoting better outcomes for children and youth across Canada.