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Bullying: Speak Up!
Create a Culture of Caring
“I hate coming to school every day. I
know I won’t
be able to get through
the halls without being
harassed by someone.”
John’s voice cracked as he
spoke, “You have no idea
what it’s like. You start
to hate yourself.” Jason,
the workshop facilitator,
turned towards the 120
other people in the room.
“Stand up if you have in
any way contributed to
this young man’s pain.”
The room was hushed and
one by one the students
began to rise until 60% of
the school was standing.
Staff members were
dumbfounded. They had no
idea of the extent of the problem. “We
had labeled him a whiner”, confided a
teacher
standing net to me. Jason’s voice
challenged the group again. “Who will
stand up
for John in the future?”
Stories like John’s are echoed across
the country with over 34% of Canadian
students
in Grades 7-11 reporting they had been
bullied within the current school year.
Instead
of focusing on their science project,
students are thinking how they can avoid
going
outside at recess, how they can stay out
of school the next day, or how they can
walk
home without being seen. Being afraid
and scared in class is becoming a
reality for
many children, impacting not only their
school achievement, but more importantly
their emotional behavior, especially
self-esteem.
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