Say no to bullying, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogyny
You may be wondering why we wear our pink shirts on April 8th.
Day of Pink is a time to acknowledge and support the fact that we will not tolerate bullying. It is a show of unity in the fight against bullying.
Victims of bullying need to see that they are not alone and that is the message behind the International Day of Pink.
What is bullying?
Bullying is not simply being mean once or twice. It is the act of hurting someone physically, emotionally or mentally over a period of time.
There are many kinds of bullying:
Physically (pushing or hitting)
Verbally (name calling and put downs)
Socially (leaving someone out or talking about them to others)
Cyber bullying (computer or online bullying)
Who is bullied?
Anyone can be bullied, and more importantly, anyone can become a bully. What the research shows us is that most bullies have been bullied themselves in the past. This is important to know because then we can stop the cycle of bullying.
If you are bullied here are some things you can do:
Tell someone! Tell a safe adult like a parent, teacher or guidance counsellor. Tell a friend or sibling.
Walk away from the situation. This is sometimes hard right in the moment but is the safest bet and best way to stop the bullying.
Do not give the bully any power. If you fight back or react negatively you are giving the bully what they want – attention.
Use self-talk to remind yourself that you are a great person and do not deserve this.
If you are the bully, here are some things you can do:
Ask for help! Tell a safe adult like a parent, teacher or guidance counsellor. Tell a friend or sibling
Think about a time when you were bullied and how it felt.
Take a walk if you feel like you might be mean.
You self-talk to remind yourself that you are a great person and do not have to do this.
If you see someone being bullied, you cannot be a bystander. Tell an adult immediately!
Even during social isolation, it is important to keep on uniting by celebrating this important day.
Now that more people have moved to online communication it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure people are safe from online bullying. If you see or hear of someone being bullied online, if you are being bullied online or if you are bullying someone online please tell someone who can help like a parent, teacher or guidance counsellor.
It takes all of us to stop and break the cycle of bullying.