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Make some noise against bullying!Help put a stop to bullying. Wear the shirt. Be the difference.

For more information and resources on bullying:

www.mychildsafety.net www.pinkshirtday.ca

www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sco/www.healthlinkbc.ca/kb/content/special/uf4870.html

www.bullyingcanada.ca

Pink Shirt Day is Wednesday,

Feb. 27

It started in September 2007, when two teens at a Nova Scotia high school stood up for a younger student. David Shepherd and Travis Price, both in Grade 12, heard about a Grade 9 student at their school who had been bullied and threatened for wearing a pink polo shirt on his first day of school.

They decided they should do something about it and bought 50 pink shirts and tank tops to wear to school the next day. They also went online to round up sup-port for their anti-bullying cause, which they dubbed a “sea of pink.”

It worked. The next day, dozens of students were outfitted with the discount shirts, but even better, hundreds of stu-dents showed up wearing their own pink clothes, some from head to toe.

The bullies were reportedly never heard from again.

This year, Feb. 27 is Pink Shirt Day in B.C. and other parts of Canada, an annual anti-bullying event that started after the now-famous 2007 “sea of pink” campaign.

The need for awareness and action against bullying remains as strong as ever say those involved in the pink event, in-cluding local radio station CKNW, Black Press, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver, and London Drugs, where people can buy the official pink shirts for 2013.

“Awareness of what bullying is and understanding that it hurts is important,” says Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver president and CEO Carolyn Tuckwell.

“It isn’t just a rite of passage. It doesn’t have to happen. And it’s relevant to every-one, whether in school, after school or in the workplace.”

According to www.bullying-canada.ca, as many as 25 per cent of children in Grades 4 to 6 have been bullied and approximately one in 10 children have bullied others, while a 2004 study published in the Medical Journal of Pediatrics found that about one in seven Canadian children aged 11 to 16 are victims of bullying.

It is important to recognize what bully-ing is, and that it happens in many forms

– verbally, socially, physically and online (cyber bullying), says Tuckwell.

“By wearing pink, people show they’re making that commitment, to not let bul-lying happen,” she says.

Tuckwell and others emphasize that the pink shirt is secondary to raising aware-ness about bullying and getting people involved.

B.C. is no stranger to tragedy related to bullying. From Surrey’s 14-year-old Hamed Nastoh, who jumped off the

Patullo Bridge and killed himself after leaving a note behind blaming the constant bullying he endured

at school, to Mission’s Dawn-Marie Wesley, 14, who committed suicide by hanging herself after relentless bullying, to Port Coquitlam’s Amanda Todd, 15, who killed herself after posting a video on YouTube talking about her experiences with cyber bullying, there are countless told and untold stories that remain horrific.

The provincial government has taken steps to address bullying in recent years, including a Ministry of Education resource brochure for parents in 14 lan-guages that can be found online at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/sco.

Net proceeds benefit the CKNW Or-phans Fund in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Coast BC.

The Boys and Girls Clubs offer programs that foster self-esteem, social engage-ment, academic success, inclusion, ac-ceptance, respect for self and others, and connection to community. The CKNW Orphans Fund is committed to enhancing the lives of children with physical, mental and social challenges living in BC com-munities. The fund includes children who are bullied under the scope of the fund’s work, because these children will need extra support for their development.

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Make some noise against bullying!Help put a stop to bullying. Wear the shirt. Be the difference.

While “bullying” brings with it images of a boy targeting schoolmates on the playground, or girls ostracizing others with gossip or shunning, today’s bul-lying has taken on many additional forms.

With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, texting and innumerable other forms of “public” electronic communication, cyber-bullying continues to show up among all ages.

According to a recent Insights West-6S Marketing study on social media be-haviours and attitudes of 504 online BC adults, 48 per cent are “very concerned” about cyber-bullying in society overall, and a further 41 per cent are “some-what concerned.” Of the 18 per cent of adults in B.C. with teens in the home, an alarming 23 per cent of parents say their teens have been victims of cyber-bullying.

Explains the Government of Canada’s GetCybersafe website, “Cyberbullying involves the use of the Internet, social networking sites, websites, email, text messaging and instant messaging to repeatedly intimidate or harass others.

“Cyberbullying changes the way we define bullies. A cyber-bully is not nec-essarily physically tough and intimidat-ing. Hidden behind a computer, the intimidator could very well be a shy and quiet person. In addition, victims may not even know who the cyber-bully is, if communications are anonymous. And often, what’s said online is harsher than what might be said face to face.”

Examples of cyberbullying include sending abusive, threatening or mean emails, texts or instant messages in-tended to hurt and embarrass; upload-ing embarrassing photos and spread-

ing them through social networks, email, texts, etc.; posing as another person on social networks, email, text or in chat and sending embarrassing messages as that person; and tricking others into sharing private information that could be embarrassing and then mak-ing it public.

Cyber-bullying is not a problem exclusive to the teen world. The Insights West-6S Marketing study found that eight per cent of adults themselves claim to have experienced it – and incidence increases to 12 per cent among those classified as “heavy” social media users (those who use Facebook or Twitter at least once a day). Those in the 18 to 34-year-old category are also substantially more likely to report being cyber-bullied (15 per cent) than those in other age groups).

Although the incidence of cyber-bullying has hit alarming numbers of 23 per cent, it still pales in comparison to the fact that the majority (58 per cent) of parents say their teens have been victims of “traditional” bullying.

The poll suggests that B.C. residents believe a collective effort from indi-viduals, educators, law enforcement and government should play a role in countering cyber-bullying.

The relatively new social phenomenon of cyber-bullying is driven by the rela-tively large number of British Columbi-ans engaged in social media activities. Currently, 46 per cent of adults use

Cyber-bullying remains a significant concernfor youth and parentsSome 23 per cent of parents with teens say their teen has been cyber-bullied (as have eight per cent of adults)

“I think Pink Shirt Day means that it doesn’t matter what skin colour, culture, religion, or gender you are – bullying isn’t okay! In fact, my middle school has a group called the YCI (Youth and Cultural Identity) club. It teams up with Lambrick Park High School, and it specifically stands up to bullying.”

What does Pink Shirt Day mean to you?

– Janet Dawson, Grade 6, Gordon Head Middle School

Facebook on daily, a figure that increases to 64 per cent among 18 to 34 year olds, and 50 per cent of 35 to 44 year olds (daily Facebook use is reported by 29 per cent of the 55+ age group).

Talk to children about cyber-bullying, letting them know they can come to you about an incident involv-ing them or someone they know. At the same time, ensure they understand bullying in all its forms is wrong – and are aware of the types of bullying behav-iours, advises the GetCyberspace website.

Tell them to stop what they are doing online, block the sender’s messages and/or profile and never reply to harassing messages.

If the cyberbullying includes physical threats, have an adult contact the police. Save harassing messages and forward them to your Internet Service Provider, as most have policies restricting users from harassing others over the Internet.

For more information, visit www.getcybersafe.gc.ca

Nearly a quarter of parents of teens say their child has been cyber-bullied.

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Challenge your friends and co-workers to commit to a bully-free lifestyle and wear pink on Feb 27, 2013.

,

Special Feature | victorianewsdaily | Wednesday February 27, 2013 | PAGE 3

Challenge your friends and co-workers to commit to a bully-free lifestyle and wear pink on Feb 27, 2013.

By Jennifer Blyth

Bullying can happen to anyone, at any age, but lo-cal schools, youth groups, community organizations and businesses are working together to put an end to it.

“Anti-bullying is a large focus in all of our schools – elementary, middle schools and secondary, and Pink Shirt Day is a day when awareness is raised about anti-bullying, acceptance and tolerance,” says Greater Victoria School District Deputy Superinten-

dent Sherri Bell.The district makes pink

T-shirts available to local schools – providing some 2,000 shirts for 2013. “It’s growing every year,” she says, “and the nice thing is that everyone is doing so much that’s different.”

It’s the collaborations between different schools and between schools and the community that’s so exciting, Bell notes.

Last year, for example, Arbutus Middle School and Reynolds Secondary students,

collaborated on a flash mob at the Legislature.

This year, Gordon Head Middle School and Lam-brick Park Secondary have a number of activities planned together.

Spreading those connec-tions even further, Lansdowne Middle School students are working with Hillside Centre and EllisDon – Kinetic Con-struction to help stop bully-ing – wherever it happens.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27 – ‘Anti-Bullying Day’ – Hillside Centre employees, retailers

Victoria stands tall against bullying

Possible warning signs that a child is being bullied include:n Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of

clothing, books, or other belongingsn Has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratchesn Has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends

timen Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and

from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers (such as clubs)

n Takes a long, “illogical” route when walking to or from school

n Has lost interest in school work or suddenly begins to do poorly in school

n Appears sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home

n Complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches, or other physical ailments

n Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams

and hundreds of construction work-ers on site will be wearing pink to show the importance of end-ing bullying. By putting on their ‘Bullying STOPS Here’ T-shirts and armbands, they’ll show their commitment and support for all those working to end bullying.

Lansdowne Middle School stu-dents will also be at the Hillside Centre Food Court at 11:45 a.m. to hand out pink paper bracelets with the message, “Be an ally – stand up against bullying.”

Bullying affects everyone from kids in school to those in the workforce, and by stopping it early we can make going to school or going to work better for everyone.

Hillside will also match the money collected from “Bullying STOPS Here” T-shirt sales and a donation will be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Victoria, a non-profit organization provid-ing before and after school pro-grams, youth justice programs and several other youth and family services.

Individual Boys & Girls Clubs around the Capital Region will also be joining the fight against bullying. “Pink Shirt Day unites people in a movement to change people’s attitudes towards bully-ing. It teaches young people that we need to be more accepting of differences and that we cannot stand by and watch as bullying occurs around us.”

n Experiences a loss of appetiten Appears anxious and suffers from low

self-esteem

Possible warning signs that a child may be a bully include:n Positive views towards violencen Often aggressive towards adults – including

teachers or parentsn Marked need to control and dominate others

and situationsn Boy bullies tend to be physically stronger than

their peersn Hot-tempered, impulsive, easily frustratedn Often tests limits or break rulesn Good at talking their way out of difficult

situationsn Show little sympathy toward others who are

bullied

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While Pink Shirt Day is a great way to drawn national attention to the is-sues of bullying each February, those working hard to end bullying behaviour know it’s a year-round concern.

That means the focus on preventing bullying doesn’t end with Pink Shirt Day.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Victoria are looking forward to their sec-ond annual Anti-Bullying Film Festival April 5 at the Vic Theatre downtown.

The Boys & Girls Clubs launched the Youth United Anti-Bullying Film Festival last year.

Youth in Victoria were invited to make a 30-second public service an-nouncement that creatively conveyed an anti-bullying message.

More than 20 videos were submitted, each one providing a unique perspec-tive on bullying and a call for bullying to stop.

All videos are available on the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Youtube channel – http://www.youtube.com/user/bgcvic

More than 130 children, teens and adults attended the screening. For details about this year’s festival, visit www.bgcvic.org

How parents can help put a stop to bullying

Make some noise against bullying!Help put a stop to bullying. Wear the shirt. Be the difference.

Challenge your friends and co-workers to commit to a bully-free lifestyle and wear pink on Feb. 27, 2013.

While schools and students, along with organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs, have been key to raising awareness about bullying and related issues, par-ents are an essential component to any discussion.

The BC government’s Health Link BC offers the following tips for parents, whether they may be concerned a child is being bullied or that at child may be exhibiting bullying behaviour:

• Have open discussions about bullying before it starts, includ-ing how to recognize and react to bullying. “Also, talk about and model empathy, which is being sensitive to and understanding how other people feel. This can help prevent your child from becoming involved in bullying others.”

• Recognize that bullying is not a normal part of growing up and should not be ignored, including behaviour that makes others feel excluded and shunned.

• If you witness bullying as an adult, intervene and speak up. If possible, build an alliance with a bullying child’s parents first to facilitate discussion.

• Help your child understand that his or her words and actions affect other people. You play an important role in making your child aware of others’ feelings.

• If you see behaviour that sug-gests your child may be bullying others, take action. “Discuss the situation with your child as soon as possible before the behaviour becomes routine. Ask questions to find out what is going on in your child’s life. It may be that your child is being bullied and is dealing with it by targeting other children. Or your child may not yet know the importance of un-

derstanding the feelings of others (empathy).”

• Set rules, supervise activities and lead by example, controlling your anger and respecting others. “If a child bullies, do not punish him or her with physical force (corporal punishment), such as spanking. Physical punishment only strengthens the belief that people can get what they want through aggression,” HealthLink suggests.

• Seek help from your child’s teacher, principal, school counsel-lor, pediatrician, or family doctor.

• Many children may not tell an adult about being bullied, for fear of being embarrassed or fear they will make the problem worse. “Help prepare children by teaching them socialization skills,

modelling friendly behaviour and telling them that you will always be there for them. Mention that if something bothers them, they can also talk with a school counsellor.”

• Be familiar with signs of bully-ing, such as frequent headaches, stomach aches, or not wanting to go to school.

• Talk to your child about school, friends and recess activities.

• If bullying is happening, talk about the situation. If a child is reluctant, “a good place to start these discussions is in the car or other place where you have little eye-to-eye contact. Listen calmly and thoughtfully. Don’t prom-ise that you won’t tell anyone. Rather, admit that you may need to become involved but you will do your very best not to make

problems worse.”• Practice role-playing at home,

encouraging your child to react calmly and confidently. Teach behaviours that show confidence rather than shyness and vulner-ability.

• Help build your child’s self-esteem by suggesting that he or she meet others through differ-ent activities. Having friends and interests can boost a child’s confidence and make him or her less likely to be bullied.

• Encourage your child to think about the qualities that make a good friend.

• Suggest that your child join activities that are supervised by an adult.

For more information, visit www.healthlinkbc.ca

An open discussion about bullying can help children recognize bullying behaviours and how to react.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Victoria host Anti-Bullying Film Festival in April What does

Pink Shirt Day mean to you?“We think Pink Shirt Day is a day where you take a stand and show people how much it can hurt someone but also showing those kids that they are not alone and always have a friend who cares and will help them through.”

- Cassidy Kellett, Grade 6, Colquitz Middle School &

Kira Kellett, Grade 9, Spectrum Secondary

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Stand up for others. Stand up for yourself.