Today is the annual Pink Shirt Day, also known as Anti-Bullying Day. Many people may wonder why pink shirts are used to represent anti-bullying! In fact, in 2007, in Nova Scotia, a boy was bullied for wearing a pink shirt, and the next day, two older students wore pink shirts as a sign of solidarity. Since that year, the last Wednesday in February has been defined as Anti-Bullying Day.
(Image source: https://www.pinkshirtday.ca/)
The harm of school bullying or cyberbullying to a person is self-evident, and it is likely to cause a lifetime of unrecoverable effects, and even countless young lives fall because of bullying! Many people may underestimate the prevalence of bullying and the extent of the harm! In fact, your child may have experienced or is experiencing these injuries!
According to the American Psychological Society, "40 to 80 percent of school-age children have experienced bullying at some point in their schooling careers." Various studies have shown that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and students with disabilities are more likely to experience bullying than other students.
According to Wikipedia data, "In the U.S. school system, one-third of children are affected by bullying throughout their lifetime." Up to 25% of students may encourage bullying, and more than 50% of students will not interfere with bullying situations. ”
This statistic is chilling, every three people. There is a person who has experienced school bullying, which may cause children to be bored with school, withdrawn, reticent, go to extremes, and even lose their lives!
(Image source: pixabay, 2293377)
Amanda Todd, a 15-year-old Canadian student who attends Maple Ridge, is also a victim of cyberbullying! In 2012, she hanged herself at her home in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Before ending her life, Todd shared her experience on Youtube, where she used a series of cards to document her experience, where she was blackmailed, exposed to private parts on the Internet, bullied, and violated! After she released her final statement in despair, she chose to end her life at the same age!
(Image source: Facebook)
Amanda Todd experienced struggles, bullying, punches and kicks, and assault. She tried again and again to end her life, she experienced panic, anxiety and depression, drank bleach, paralyzed herself with alcohol and antidepressants, and finally could not get rid of the heartfelt despair, chose to commit suicide.
It's not hard to imagine how much psychological stress a child in the middle of adolescence would be subjected to after experiencing bullying! In 2012, NDP mp Danny Morin introduced a motion in Canada's House of Commons against Todd's death. The bill proposes a study of the scope of bullying in Canada and more funding and support for anti-bullying organizations. In November 2013, Conservative Justice Minister Peter MacKay introduced Bill C-13, anti-cyberbullying and retaliatory pornography legislation.
Every year on the last Wednesday of February, the school will use various reading materials or some activities to teach children to say no to bullying!
After more and more people participated in the Pink Shirt Day activities, everyone consciously put on pink clothes on this day and expressed their goodwill with their own practical actions! The organization currently allocates more than $2.55 million in net proceeds to support youth anti-bullying programs in British Columbia and across Western Canada. In 2020 alone, the organization supported more than 59,000 teens and children.
This year's Pink Shirt Day is Feb. 23, and the organization sends a clear message to support each other and "make everyone accept, respect, and tolerate."
(Image source: DH News)
It is important to teach children to recognize bullying and to deal with it correctly! The following works are children's books on the themes of kindness, anti-bullying and compassion. Let the children learn how to say no to a bully in the story!
1: Little Wolf by Teoni Spathelfer, painted by Natassia Davies
The picture book Little Wolf tells the story of a young Indigenous girl and her family who undergo a major life change when they move to the city. The girl deals with bullies at new school, but she learns to understand her new environment and, with the help of her mother, makes connections with humans and the natural world.
(Image source: CBC)
2:Hold That Thought!， Bree Galbraith 著，Lynn Scurfield 绘
It's a humorous picture book about Finn, a man with exciting ideas. Finn shared his ideas with their friends and went on growing. But when a bully gives up on the idea, it starts to shrink.
3：The Doll，Nhung N. Tran-Davies 著， Ravy Puth 绘制
The book was inspired by the true story of writer Nhung Tran-Davies arriving in Canada as a Vietnamese refugee. The stranger gave her a doll that represented kindness and compassion. Decades later, she grew up and forwarded the gift to another family in need.
4：When We Are Kind ，Monique Gray Smith著，（Nicole Neidhardt）插图
When We Are Kind is a picture book that guides children to simple daily acts of kindness. It was created to encourage children to explore their feelings every day and be kind to themselves.
5: The Only Way Out , Katie Kuperman著
The Only Way Out is a novel about Caitlin and Rebecca, two teenagers who are both neighbors and best friends. But after Rebecca was bullied at school and Caitlin became a bystander to horrific events, the teens were mentally and emotionally affected. Inspired by amanda Todd's true story, this book is an anti-bullying story about standing up and speaking out in the face of injustice.