Each year in February, since 2007, Canadian schools and communities have recognized Pink Shirt Day as a national day of awareness against bullying. The idea is to don a pink shirt to acknowledge the day where two Nova Scotia boys and their friends wore pink shirts to stand with another boy who was bullied the day before for wearing a pink shirt to school.
The idea behind Pink Shirt Day is fairly straightforward. On the designated day wear a pink shirt, talk about bullying impacts and why you should not bully others, along with share resources to help continue the conversation around bullying prevention.
However, the day itself remains as that — one day set aside to talk about bullying prevention. Children, parents and educators would agree that the topic of bullying prevention should not solely be focused on for one day or just a week.
It should be an ongoing conversation throughout the year involving a targeted, practical solution beyond wearing a pink shirt and raising awareness. The solution should come from a place of prevention, where there is a proactive response, before the bullying behaviours occur.
What needs to happen is a shift in the way that bullying is not only seen, but how it is addressed as well.
When you think of a “bully,” who do you picture? Maybe you see a big and strong kid who would shove others into lockers or on the playground. Or perhaps a popular girl who would get others to follow her lead on picking on another student. We have numerous examples from TV, movies and books about the typical “bully,” who they target and what constitutes as bullying.
However, over the years, new stories and personal experience have shed light on the fact that any child or adult has the capacity to bully others, to be intentionally and repeatedly mean or cruel in their words or actions.
Therefore, a shift needs to happen away from identifying bullies and victims towards identifying bullying behaviour and those who choose to use these behaviours.
Bullying behaviour can begin simply because of a misuse of personal power. Everybody has personal power to make something happen, because they are bigger, stronger, smarter or more popular. While it is okay to have more power than someone else — this is inevitable — it is the misuse of that power that can lead to bullying situations, and even harassment and violence later in life.
By educating children, youth and even adults that bullying is about what people do, not who they are, people can be more empowered to make positive changes in their lives to stop using bullying behaviours in the first place.
If people are encouraged to use their power in a positive way to help others, then not only do they feel better about themselves, but it may reflect positively on them and could possibly make our communities stronger.
Stopping bullying behaviour is no small feat. It takes time, awareness and targeted steps to address, but encouraging others to do their best and use their power in a positive way can help limit bullying in the future.
Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre provides education programs and presentations on consent and many other prevention-based topics throughout central Alberta. Reach out to the education team at education@casasc.ca for facilitated discussion or other bullying prevention related activities that can benefit your workplace or clients.
CASASC offers a 24 hour help line for those looking for those dealing with sexual violence impacts in our community. Call or text 1-866-956-1099, or webchat at www.casasc.ca for confidential support, information and referrals.
Kailee Mears is a prevention educator at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.