At The Flag Shop EVERY Day is Anti-Bullying Day
By Susan Braverman
As I reach a personal milestone celebrating my 50th birthday today, it’s a natural time of reflection, recalling some of the defining moments of my past. At the same time, I’m looking towards the future with excitement and enthusiasm for all that is yet to come!
Susan Braverman
Tomorrow, May 4th, is the United Nations Anti-Bullying Day[1], and I can’t help but to remember my experiences as a youth in grade 8, having to change schools to escape the torment of my bully. Though many years have passed, it doesn’t make the emotional trauma of those days any less real. I’m just so thankful that I had the support of family to help me through those difficult times. I’m so glad they knew to reassure me it was not my fault, that they knew to talk about it with school leaders, and that they gave me real steps to take to address the bullying behaviour. Sadly, bullying continues to impact many school-aged children and youth today. According to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada has the 9th highest rate of bullying among 13-year-olds across 35 countries.[2] CIHR findings indicate that exposure to bullying increases risk of suicidal thoughts,[3] and that 73% of victims reported experiencing cyber-bullying.[4]
Source: kellywarnerlaw.com
With today’s technology, kids are faced with the harsh reality of cyber-bullying, which is much more difficult to escape compared to the bullying of my youth. With cyber-bullying, a child or youth is targeted, using cell phones and other devices, to harass, embarrass, threaten or humiliate.[5] In many cases, this “drama”, hating, or gossip can be relentless, spreading quickly, and causing severe damage to self-esteem and mental health.[6]
On May 4th, it’s a time to talk about, and take a stand against bullying. Other special days set aside to create focus around bullying include: Pink Shirt Day, Day of Pink, and Blue Shirt Day.
My team and I are deeply honoured to support this cause, doing all that we can by providing schools and other organizations with anti-bullying flags, and promotional items such as pins, crests, and lanyards, to help fight the good fight! We are proud of our school fundraising program, enabling schools to increase awareness, and think about the serious impacts of bullying, while raising funds for school programming.
Grace Fenton
The Creative Genius Behind the Design
We first met Grace Fenton in 2014, when she was a grade 7 student from Albert Mines, New Brunswick. Grace created an anti-bullying design for a Pink Shirt Day contest at her school. When The Flag Shop learned about it, we recognized an amazing opportunity to support anti-bullying efforts, while honouring Grace’s achievement. Her original design holds a positive message, representing the importance of helping those who may be experiencing bullying. Grace’s flag was hoisted for the first time in 2014, and later that year The Flag Shop was given exclusive rights to use her design, supporting anti-bullying efforts across Canada. We love the design and its message so much that we didn’t stop at flags, so take a look at our full product line! Grace Fenton, thank you for the inspiration!
I AM SOMEONE Rally – 2015
Kudos to the Anti-Bullying Champions in Our Communities
In Canada and beyond, we know of many organizations which are dedicated to wiping out bullying. Days like May 4th are an important part of highlighting these efforts. While we can’t name all of them, thank you to the following organizations which provide important resources and support to address bullying:
B-Free.ca – www.b-free.ca
Bullying Canada – www.bullyingcanada.ca
Bully Free Alberta – www.bullyfreealberta.ca
Erase Bullying – www.erasebullying.ca
I AM SOMEONE – www.iamsomeone.ca
I am Stronger – www.iamstronger.ca
Pink Shirt Day – www.pinkshirtday.ca
PREVNet – www.prevnet.ca
Stop A Bully – www.stopabully.ca
EVERY Day is Anti-Bullying Day
If you’re wondering what you can do to put a stop to bullying and help to create a world in which our children’s children can live peacefully, join us as we continue to educate ourselves about bullying and prevention, and commit to taking action at the first hints of bullying. Make EVERY day Anti-Bullying Day!
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Resources:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Bullying_Day#cite_note-5
[2][3][4] http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45838.html#5
[5][6] https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/cbrbllng/prnts/cbrbllng-en.aspx