Pink Shirt Day

After a new student at their school in Berwick, Nova Scotia was harassed for sporting a pink shirt, two grade 12 students bought 50 pink shirts and inspired their peers to jump on board. To their astonishment, most of the students showed up wearing pink the day they went to hand out the shirts! Since then, Pink Shirt Day has grown across Canada and throughout the world. 

Bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment put a child’s mental, emotional, and physical health at danger and undermine their ability to learn. You or someone you know is probably a victim of bullying, as it affects one in five pupils. Contact a helping hand if you’re unsure of what to do. And keep in mind that compassion and kindness can go a long way. 

The key to eradicating bullying behaviour is education. How can you, as an educator, ensure your students have a safe space to seek guidance and support? Below is a list of questions to help you evaluate your current bullying prevention measures in your classroom environment. 

1. Are the students’ behaviour expectations clear, consistent, and fair? 
2. How do you handle the problem of kids and young people who are bystanders? 
3. Is there a means for students to report bullying situations in an anonymous manner? 
4. Do you have specified policies and procedures that are perfectly clear to assist adults in properly intervening with cases of disrespectful behaviour (bullying and harassment)? 
5. Have you given staff members training that specifically covers assisting GSRD, disabled, or adolescents of varied ethnicities? 
6. Do you discuss bullying and harassment in lectures, seminars, and gatherings while offering clearly understood, age-appropriate information?