Today is Pink Shirt Day. It is an awareness day about bullying; to start conversations, to show support for those who experience / have experienced bullying, and, to take a stand against bullying.
The history around this day is unique. Pink Shirt Day arose out of a bullying incident being witnessed and the high school students who saw it taking a stand against bullying in their school.
In Nova Scotia, in 2007, a grade nine student was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Two high school students witnessed this incident. After school, they bought fifty pink shirts from a discount store to hand out, and organized with their friends the next day that other students would come to school wearing pink shirts. They showed their support in numbers, as the students handed out the pink shirts they had bought and as other students came to school wearing pink. Together, these high school students supported a fellow student who experienced bullying and truly took a stand against bullying at their high school.
Unfortunately, the need for Pink Shirt Day and other important awareness days is apparent as bullying continues to be a big problem.
Bullying impacts all students, either directly or indirectly. They may be the victim of bullying, witness another student being bullied, and/or know about bullying happening at their schools, online, or elsewhere. Awareness about bullying is only the first step, addressing and finding solutions to this problem is the next step. If you are being bullied and/or you witness or know of someone being bullied, reach out for help, get support, and take action. Read the “What You Can Do” section on the RCMP website for specific steps and actions to take.
Wear pink today, but take a stand against bullying on all days of the year.