Bullying is a significant problem in schools, workplaces, homes, and online. Over February and throughout the year, Pink Shirt Day aims to raise awareness of these issues.
Presently a development celebrated across the globe; Pink Shirt Day has humble beginnings. Inspired by an act of kindness in a small town Nova Scotia (kids and company, 2021). Here is a snippet of an article detailing the original incident according to a report by the Globe and Mail, (2021):
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”
— GLOBE & MAIL
We know there’s a champion in every kid. Big kid or small kid, it doesn’t matter. There is a champion in every kid! Sometimes we do forget this.
Often, kids will try to feel cool or strong by choosing to be mean to smaller or weaker ones. They might pick on people who can’t do or say anything back. They might do it over and over too. If you see this happening, its called bullying and its not nice.
There are few other things you can do to help stop bullying when it’s happening. Stand up to the bully and be an upstander.
First: Be a buddy – Be a friend to the person that is being bullied. This will stop the bully from going further.
Secondly: Interrupt – Call the person that is being bullied to come play with you. It will allow them to walk away from the bully.
Thirdly: Speak out – Be brave and walk to the bullying and tell him or her to stop, don’t do that, it’s mean and not friendly.
Fourthly: Tell someone – You need to tell an adult about it; maybe it’s during the bullying or after. This is not that you are trying to get someone in trouble. This is to keep someone safe.
Also Read: Trip To Niagara Falls
It takes kindness, hard work and courage to be an upstander. By being an upstander, you are an awesome friend to someone that needed it most.
Never give up on helping anyone to be safe.
Watch the videos below:
