|
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 10:42 |
Just 2 months after Phoebe Prince committed suicide by hanging herself after allegedly being bullied to death by schoolmates, it’s PINK SHIRT DAY! The origins of Pink Shirt Day are noble. Started by 2 high school students in Cambridge Nova Scotia, these 2 ordinary boys did something extraordinary that has been recognized nation-wide. When they found out that another male student in their school was targeted and teased because he was wearing a pink shirt, the two boys headed out after school in search of pink shirts. They found several, 50 of them, and the next day there was a show of solidarity amongst the students. Fifty of them were waiting in the foyer of the school wearing pink shirts, their way of sending the message “BULLYING STOPS HERE”. The story spread, and now in its third year, Pink Shirt Day is becoming nationally recognized as the day we wear pink and say “Bullying Stops Here”.
It is a growing movement. Not just growing in participants (SO many more people wearing pink this year) but growing in understanding, growing in capacity and growing in awareness.
“Why are you all wearing pink” ask a few who have joined the team yet.
“Because it’s pink day” they explain, with nods of approval and positive support. This year, I received the most media requests since Pink Shirt Day began. I answered more questions, talked to more people and was asked to speak in more venues than ever before! To me, that means its growing!
And pink was certainly the colour to choose. Pink is often used as a symbol of peace. Pink flowers mean friendship, pink ribbons show support for Breast Cancer research and pink moons mean that we will finish all of our tasks that are so far left undone. Pink has the strength and the passion of red, and the softness of white. It soothes the eyes and makes people smile.
As someone famous and mighty once said, “I have a Dream”. Well, so do I. I not only dream of the day, but will wait for the day that wearing pink means all things good. It means “I support breast cancer research”, it means “ I say Bullying Stops Here”, and it means “I extend my hand in friendship”. I think we should wear our pink more often. I think we should think of more good things for pink. And then Pink Shirt day will no longer be a one day event, but a statement we make when we wear get dressed in the morning.
Next year on Pink Shirt Day, I suspect that less people will be asking why we are wearing pink. They will have joined the team.
|
|
Thursday, 22 April 2010 10:29 |
|
The Tragic Death of Phoebe Prince at 15: We Lose Another one of our Children to Bullying
This tragedy just keeps getting more and more tragic. A 15 year old girl, a recent immigrant from Ireland, dead. Bullied to death. Gone at the age of 15, by her own hand, to put an end to the incessant bullying that it appears she was forced to endure everyday at school. Reports allege that this harassment had been going on for months.
How could this happen? As the story unfolds, the levels of horror deepen. The greatest tragedy is the loss of Pheobe. Her family must somehow survive this loss. Everything else takes a back seat second to her death, but to think that this event had not rocked this community of Northampton, Massachusetts to the core would be wrong. There are no winners here.
The families of those charged must be reeling in sadness and shame. The faculty, the students, everyone is sure to be feeling to blame is some way. And there is nothing to do but survive this senseless death, and do SOMETHING to be sure it never happens again. This town of Northampton has a huge problem. With her suicide death, Pheobe has put the issue of bullying under the spotlight of the world again, and although it seems that several adults had tried to intervene, there was no one there to save Pheobe.
Schools and communities need to adopt and embrace a culture of safety for everyone. And when that culture is violated, there need to be consequences. Students need to know what is expected of them and how to deliver. They also deserve to know what will happen if they make another student feel unsafe or unwelcome. Student need to know that if they report bullying, then something will be done about it. They need to know that there anonymity will be protected and that time will be spent investigating allegations. Teachers and administrators need to know that anti bullying policies will be backed by school boards and trustees, and that saying NO to bullying goes through the ranks of the district administrative teams and that our leaders do not engage in these types of behaviours. Our children need to learn a gentler, kinder way to behave with each other and they need to know who to go to for help.
Finally, we need to ask our student “How safe is our school”, and then we need to take the answers of the students seriously, and take action to make the unsafe zones of the school safe for all. I challenge all schools: Check your changerooms, your washrooms, your stairwells, your buses and you stairwells. Check your classroom and your cafeterias. Ask your students about their school and let them see us take action on their behalf. We simply cannot afford to lose any more of our children. |
|
Tuesday, 15 December 2009 10:12 |
Cyber bullying is in the increase, says Vancouver Sun Article Dec. 14, 2009. We’ve known this for a long time. The booklet entitled, “Take Action Against Cyber Bullying” is a soft bound book, meaning that pages can be changed and updated every year because the statistics update so often. We, as a world nation, particularly in the field of public education, are in the middle of the biggest transition for accessing information than ever before seen. The cyber world is in its infancy, and like all mushroom clouds just blooming, we cannot know the final and far-reaching consequences.
However, this is what we do know for sure |
|
Read more...
|
|
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 19:16 |
The Bully Was Left Naked and Bleeding: Revenge may be sweet, but does anyone really win??
Recently, an article entitled Vancouver teens face charges after bully beaten, hit with stun gun (Canwest News Service Published: Friday, November 06, 2009) describes a scene where 4 youths were arrested in connection with a beating of an alleged bully. The anonymous caller reported that a bully was stripped of his clothes, lying in a fetal position on the ground, bleeding, surrounded by the perpetrators. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
