Bullying is an ongoing concern in many elementary and high schools. It can occur in many relationships, in the work place and schools or even within families. Bullying presents itself in many forms from physical violence to spreading negative rumours to exclusion. Cyberbullying is also becoming increasingly common since most youth are equipped with various electronic devices from phones, iPads to laptops. They are also connected to many social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, which makes it very easy for bullies to target their victims.
Bullying has taken the national stage as a result of a number of suicide deaths of teens who have been cyberbullied.
This year’s national campaign encouraged students to remember and reflect on all the lives that have been affected by violence and discrimination through bullying. It was aimed at eliminating bullying by providing students with knowledge and awareness needed to tackle the issue.
“This knowledge is extremely important because bullying can take place anywhere and any time, and rather than passing by without doing anything, students can take what they know to make a change,” said Charmaine Pasadilla, a Grade 12 student at Toronto’s St. Joseph’s College School.
At St. Joseph’s, the Empowered Student Partnership (ESP) team raised awareness by organizing lunchtime events where students learned what they can do to overcome bullying. These events included fundraisers, police visits, anti-bullying workshops and an inspiring school assembly with YouthSpeak, a performance charity organization that helps spark discussion about issues such as bullying, mental health and addictions through the sharing of personal stories and experiences. Gratitude-grams were also sold by the leadership team to help students replace hateful and negative comments of bullying with inspiring and positive remarks towards others.
In addition to these school initiatives, an opportunity known as the SMILE program was offered by the TCDSB, which is run through the Student Leadership Department in partnership with the Toronto District School Board. The program provides students the training and action plans to assist them in eliminating bullying in their schools and surrounding communities.
On Nov. 20, student representatives from 171 elementary schools attended the TCDSB’s third annual Bullying Awareness and Prevention Symposium. Students were treated to various presentations where they were bombarded with the message “We All Belong” to inspire them to create a positive change and develop action plans for their schools.
(Juson, 17, is a Grade 12 student at St. Joseph’s College School in Toronto.)