*Guest blog from Janice Babineau, Canadian Red Cross communications coordinator in Atlantic Canada *
Bullying can happen to anyone. That message was heard loud and clear on Friday when students, parents and even elected officials shared personal stories of being bullied at the launch of the 2nd annual Anti-Bullying Day in Fredericton, NB.
Approximately 75,000 youth wore blue t-shirts or blue ribbons to raise awareness on the impact of hurtful behaviours such as name calling, pushing and spreading rumours.
Alisha Virmani and Connor MacDonald are involved with the Canadian Red Cross anti-bullying program, Beyond the Hurt, at Fredericton High School.
The two well-spoken students shared some of the successes of their school’s involvement with Beyond the Hurt, a unique peer-facilitated program for youth, and how important it is to speak out when you are being bullied or when you witness bullying.
Many students wore a t-shirt that was in fact designed by Alisha Virmani and features the catchy slogan “Labels are for soup cans” on the back. Alisha told the audience that she herself was the target of cyber-bullying a few years ago, but things got better after she spoke out.
Other schools involved in Beyond the Hurt also came up with creative projects for Anti-Bullying Day. Students at Carman Bliss Middle School contributed squares to create a single large quilt to symbolize the impact of bullying. And Leo Hayes High School organized a group photo of their student body wearing blue t-shirts.
Beyond the Hurt training deals with bullying and harassment and provides tools to prevent it. It’s part of the Canadian Red Cross RespectEd violence and abuse prevention program, and is offered in 30 schools throughout New Brunswick.
