Today people around the world are wearing pink as part of a World Wide anti-bullying day. Bullying is a very serious problem that was not always taken seriously. As an "army brat" who moved often, 6 schools in 3 provinces for grade school, 3 different schools in 2 different provinces just in grade 2, I saw lots of bullying during an era when few adults paid attention to the problem. Today, as bullying takes on new forms with young people being bullied severely on the internet through "social media" and while old forms of bullying persist, including name calling and physical assault, people are starting to take bullying seriously.I was born in a small town called Waterville, Nova Scotia where my parents and some other family members live today. It is literally just down the road from Central Kings Rural High School where many of my cousins, nieces and nephews have attended school ... the school where two grade 12 students, Travis Price and David Shepherd, stood up for a fellow student who was being bullied because he wore a pink shirt. As reported by the CBC, they:
"rallied around a younger student after he was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt on the first day of school.
David Shepherd and Travis Price, who were in Grade 12 at Central Kings Rural High School, asked all students at their school to wear pink T-shirts to combat bullying.
They bought 50 pink shirts from a discount store, then e-mailed classmates to get them on board. The next day, hundreds of students showed up wearing pink clothing. Before long, the movement had spread around the province and across the country."
I am very proud of the students from Central Kings for the stand they took. And I have tremendous respect for every one who stands up for those who are bullied, usually for being different, for wearing different clothes, for their sexual orientation, for their racial or ethnic background, because they have a disability ... in some cases because they are autistic.
In some cases people are bullied because they are the parents of an autistic child fighting for services for their child or simply trying to include him or her in an every day life occurrence like attending a movie theater.
These are just some of my personal connections to the bullying phenomenon. Many people have been bullied in life for many different reasons including at school and in the workplace.
It is time to end bullying in all its forms and wherever it occurs.
And to say thank you to everyone who helps to end bullying.
autism
I agree!!! I wanted to know if you have heard about whats going on in the U.S...Today in the newspaper USA Today there was a full page add put out by the Generation rescue...apparently the Hoffington post has an article where the a court has admitted the Vaccine and autism link and awarded the a child $800,000 and $30,000-$40,000 a year for treatments. Check it out for yourself; I would love to read your thoughts on it...Im looking at the add now and the website on the bottom is: WWW.generationrescue.org..It was also on the news..
ReplyDeleteAs a person who was bullied in school I know too well the pain of being bullied. I'm wearing pink today.
ReplyDeleteI'm lovin' pink day!
ReplyDeleteAnyone have links to any great news stories? There was a great story on the news last year about it, explaining its origin in the Maritimes I believe, by a bunch of very upstanding students, I believe from the boy's basketball team. I'd love to have that story for my husband to post and talk to his students about - he's a high school teacher.
Thanks to anyone who helps me out.
Nevermind - that's the story on you rblog. Oops! Got it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAs a mother of five who has had each of her children bullied in one fashion or the other, I'm thrilled to see more awareness on this topic. My middle grade book Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us deals with this subject. I try to demonstrate the dangers and consequences of bullying, and also showcasing the bully's reasons for what he does.
ReplyDeleteBullying is a topic that should be discussed at home. Bringing awareness as to how the child being bullied feels, the dangers and repercussions to follow, are important enough to teach our children.
Bullying has many faces, from:
a group of kids shunning one child
namecalling
pushing and shoving
and worse.
If it's not nipped in the butt at a young age bullies tend to up their tactics as they grow older.
It's not only for the children who are bullied we should aim our teachings but to the bullies themselves, perhaps to get through to them before they end up in jail.
Litsa and I have been following your blog for a while now and we have to give you two thumbs up for the informative postings you add. Litsa and I are writing a book on autism and you've been a valuable source of encouragement to us.
Thanks Lea, good luck with the book.
ReplyDeleteHi tiffruherf
ReplyDeleteYes I have now read the decision itself as well as the Kirby Kennedy analysis. I am waiting to see Dr Offit's reaction. I assume he will not be as happy with this one as he was with the 3 cases last week.
I cant WAIT to read your comments!!!
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding they tried their damnedest to use every word to describe the child's "symptoms" with out using the word Autism...it was kinda like playing the board game "Taboo" only in court!
ReplyDeleteAnti bullying awareness day should be made an official day for every elementary and high school across the globe.Various related in school activities should model acceptable/non-acceptable behaviours.This way students can have an on-hands experience of how to better handle bullying situations.
ReplyDeleteA better handle on bullying today ,can result in one less tormented child tomorrow.
shakingsystem
ReplyDeleteI agree. This is one area where simple awareness could do so much for so many at so little cost.