Pink Shirt Day urges school communities to take a stand against bullying
By: Niño Himpil
Anti-bullying campaigns took place across Canada during Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 28, and members of the Red River College Polytechnic community spoke about the importance of advocacy and bullying intervention.
Haodan Jing is a second-year Full Stack Web Development student who said she worries about her 3-year-old daughter being teased at daycare.
“She can’t speak English. One morning she told me there is a kid that likes to push her on the ground when the teacher is not there,” said Jing.
According to an online resource guide from the Canadian Red Cross, 57 per cent of bullying incidents can be stopped when bystanders or other young people intervene or speak up.
“When your child is hurt, as a parent, you have to do something. You have to speak up because there’s no shame in that,” said Jing.
For Pink Shirt Day 2024, RRC Polytech Campus Stores sold shirts, with proceeds supporting Canadian community programs that focus on kindness promotion and bullying prevention.
Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 in Nova Scotia when a grade nine boy was bullied for wearing pink. In response, two classmates organized a protest, encouraging the entire school to wear pink as a symbol of solidarity.
Now, Canadians and New Zealanders celebrate Pink Shirt Day annually on the last Wednesday of February.
“It is important for students to know what the college offers because they are very valuable,” said Indira Herrera-Gonzales, admissions and student records officer at RRC Polytech. “We want our students to feel welcome and comfortable here, regardless of their background.”
RRC Polytech offers a Respectful College course on LEARN, which is dedicated to fostering an inclusive campus, free from bullying, harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence.
“The college will always find ways to help,” said Carmen Puente, administrative assistant at RRC Polytech. “Kindness is so important. When we practice kindness everything could be perfect.”
Statistics from Anxiety Disorders of Manitoba (ADAM) show that one in five kids experiences bullying. ADAM’s press release on Feb. 27 emphasized the increasing problem of bullying.
“Be kind to others: your words and actions can have a lasting impact on others and how they feel about themselves,” said executive director, Scott McFayden, in the release.
For more information on accessing anti-bullying resources, visit student support services online or in person.
