One in five kids are affected by bullying.
That’s according to statistics put out for Pink Shirt Day.
It’s a day dedicated to raise awareness of bullying and preventative measures.
People across Canada are able to join the conversation through social media with hashtag Pink Day, or their national theme of hashtag Be Someone’s Hero.
Angela Richard with The Red Cross Atlantic Branch says it goes back to the story of how Pink Shirt Day began, when two Nova Scotian students stood up to bullying.
“We’re all rallying under this umbrella of #BeSomeonesHero,” she says.
“Again, harkening back to that story – those were two ordinary kids who decided they wanted to be someone’s hero and look at the amazing impact that that’s had.”
The Pink Shirt campaign started in Nova Scotia in 2007 by two students at Central Kings Rural High School who saw a male student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt and wanted to be able to stand up for him.
They rallied their peers and “the next day it was a sea of pink,” she says.
“After that it really sparked that world-wide movement.”
She says it’s about empowering the average, every-day student and bystander.
“So it’s all about folks kind of claiming their power of how they can help create respectful communities themselves and taking ownership of the actions that they can do themselves.”
Richard encourages people to use the hash tags to share pictures throughout the day and to share their experiences with bullying.
To hear the full interview, listen to South Shore Sunday Morning this week.
And for more information on Pink Shirt Day, visit the Red Cross website.
