Our Mission

Empowering people to recognize and prevent bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD) through interactive, online training courses.Harassment Prevention Training

Our Vision

Eliminate bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD) by inspiring a global culture of respect.

Individuals have been RESPECT CERTIFIED

Respect Group’s Net Promoter Score is +81. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric for measuring customer satisfaction. NPS of +50 is generally deemed excellent, anything over +70 is exceptional.

Respect Group is proud to give-back +5% of its annual revenue to youth serving organizations across Canada.

The Respect Experience

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about accessing our programs, how to log in, obtaining your certificate, or what to do in the event you witness bullying, abuse, harassment or discrimination.

Why Respect Matters

People want to be involved with organizations that demonstrate Respect. Often, Vision or Mission Statements include the word “Respect” however, few organizations have empowered and equipped ALL members of their team with the necessary tools and training to ensure a positive and psychologically safe environment.

Respect Group takes your privacy seriously. By submitting a request for information by email to a general or specific Respect Group email address, you are consenting to have a representative of Respect Group contact you by email.

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About Us

Respect Group was incorporated on April 5th, 2004 by co-founders, Sheldon Kennedy and Wayne McNeil, to pursue their common passion: the prevention of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD). Respect Group is made up of a team of 30 talented individuals whose passion is to create a global culture of Respect. Our co-founders have been involved in pursuing this mission for the past 25 years. Click here to walk down memory lane with us.

We have enlisted pre-eminent experts to develop a best in class curriculum and e-learning platform. Expert content and a professional online training and certification model round out Respect Group’s fully outsourced risk management behaviour-change solutions for sport, schools and the workplace.

Wayne McNeil

Wayne McNeil was Trustee and Vice-Chairman of the Rocky View School Division, volunteer President of the Sheldon Kennedy Foundation, which raised over $1.2 Million during the 1998 Cross-Canada Skate to raise awareness for the prevention of child abuse, served as Chairman of the Alberta Gymnastics Federation for six years andserved for 6 years as founding Board member of the Calgary and Area Child Advocacy Centre.

These volunteer roles and his commitment to child advocacy lead Wayne to co-found Respect Group Inc.; Canada’s first, on-line, abuse, discrimination, bullying and harassment prevention training program for community/sport organizations, schools and corporations.

Wayne has a seasoned, professional background in Information Technology and Project Management that he developed through key global positions with Bell Canada, 3Com Corporation and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). This strong IT expertise enabled Wayne to create a solid team and technology approach for Respect Group. Wayne was instrumental in forging an exclusive partnership with the Canadian Red Cross to combine Canada’s best abuse, bullying and harassment prevention curriculum (Respect Education) with Respect Group ‘s world-class, on-line training technology.

In 2007, Wayne was awarded the Canadian Red Cross Caring Award for his leadership in the promotion of violence and abuse prevention education.

Wayne McNeil

Co-founder

Sheldon Kennedy

Sheldon Kennedy won a Memorial Cup, World Junior Gold Medal and skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career. He is best known for his courageous decision to charge his Major Junior Hockey league coach with sexual assault for the abuse he suffered over a five year period while a teenager under his care. Through this disclosure, and the important work that Sheldon continues to do, he has become an inspiration to millions of abuse survivors around the world.

Sheldon has been instrumental in bringing governments, public and private sector partners together to work collaboratively to influence policy change and improve the way child abuse is handled. He has influenced changes in Canadian law and has taken his message to the International Olympic Committee and the US Senate.

Sheldon was Co-Founder of the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre, the first-of-its-kind in Canada, offering full wrap-around services for victims of child abuse. He is also the Co-Founder of Respect Group, which provides empowering online abuse, bullying and harassment prevention education to sport organizations, schools and the workplace.

Sheldon’s awareness contributions are many:

He in-line skated across Canada in 1998 to highlight the issue of child abuse and donated 100% of the proceeds ($1.2M) towards abuse prevention programs. During this skate he was presented with the keys to the cities of Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg.
His life story was made into an Award Winning TV movie.
In 2006 he published “Why I Didn’t Say Anything”; a riveting account of the many psychological impacts of abuse.
He has shared his story through countless media appearances including Oprah, ABC’s Nightline, W-5, The Fifth Estate, and was named Canada’s newsmaker of the year in 1997.
In 2016, Swift Current the documentary featured Sheldon’s story, providing a startling and never before seen look at recovery from childhood sexual abuse trauma.

Sheldon has received several awards for his tireless work including:

Order of Sport Award, 2020
Hall of Fame Inductee, 2020
Olds College Honorary Degree, 2020
Order of Hockey in Canada, 2020
Recipient of WHL Governors Award, 2020
Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Regina, 2018
Hockey Canada Order of Merit, 2018
Honourary Bachelor of Business Administration, SAIT, 2016
Honourary Bachelor of Child Studies and Child and Youth Care, Mount Royal University, 2016
Member of The Order of Canada, 2015
Member of The Order of Manitoba, 2015
Alberta Order of Excellence 2016
Honourary Doctorate of Laws, University of Calgary, 2015
Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leader Award, University of Guelph, 2015
The David Foster Foundation Humanitarian Award, 2014
Calgary Citizen of the Year 2013
Honourary Doctorate of Laws, University of the Fraser Valley, 2012
Scotiabank Humanitarian Award, 2012
Canadian Red Cross Caring Award, 2007

Sheldon Kennedy

Co-Founder

Explore Respect For Your Organization

Learn how you can build a culture of Respect in your organization through our interactive certification training.

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What Our Clients Have To Say

University of Calgary is proud to be the first academic institution in Canada to launch the Respect in the Workplace Program.

We believe the benefits of a respectful workplace include improved team communication, enhanced organizational health, reduced absenteeism, and increased morale and productivity.

Respect in the Workplace is helping us build a stronger, more vibrant campus culture, where every member feels valued for their contributions

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon

Former President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary

Obviously, super impressed with the program. Great to have it in such short bursts, and the app made it so convenient (I did most of it on my skytrain commute!).

The messages are varied and made to be relevant to the parents, somehow in a way that empowers them to take action. I never felt like I was being talked down to. Even having done many similar trainings, I learned new things, and felt more confident to take action.

It exceeded all my expectations, and quite honestly, it’s in my top online education programs of all time.

Kate Kloos

Former Manager, Coach Development, Viasport

The Respect in School program has had a lasting impression here at Moncton High School by empowering the bystander in the prevention of bullying, abuse and maltreatment.

The Respect in School program provides the user the skills to recognize, identify and report suspected abuse, bullying and maltreatment. Countless students reported and disclosed past abuse and bullying during the implementation of the program and most sought counselling for the first time.

The implementation of the Respect in School Program and sharing Sheldon Kennedy’s journey of hope and healing has been one of the most powerful things I have done in my sixteen-year teaching career.