Students are taking a stand against bullying this week at local schools.
As part of national anti-bullying week, students at St. Ann School wore pink shirts Thursday. Grade 6 students Melissa Boiechko said she wanted to take part in the day because it’s important to make her school safe.
If no one addresses bullying, it will only get worse.
Boiechko’s advice to any kids being bullied is to tell an adult and stand up for yourself.
“I think it was very important to do this because some people don’t worry how much it can hurt other people,” she said.
“People are getting hurt and they’re lowering their self-esteem,” Boiechko said. “They don’t want to show their emotions because they want to act tough but they’re actually crying on the inside.”
St. Patrick High School vice-principal Michael Filipetti said the school has been holding public service announcements throughout the week focusing on bullies, victims, and bystanders.
“To let them know the importance in each role and make them aware of strategies they can use to combat bullying in school and out of school,” he said.
Bullying is an issue at every school but Filipetti said he thinks students are starting to become more aware of the issue in local schools.
“One of the most important roles in the bullying relationship is the bystander often people are nearby a bullying situation they know it’s going on but they say nothing or they do nothing,” he said.
But more and more students are speaking out to staff about being bullied, seeing a friend being bullied or about being a bully.
“For those people who are being the actual bullies often they realize it and they have different issues that they’re dealing with as well so we can work with them and whether its recommend them for counseling or … just monitor them to work through their issues so we can eliminate bullying eventually.”
St. Pat’s hosts a number of initiatives throughout the school year as well.
“The week more or less just emphasizes the fact that it’s an ongoing process,” Filipetti said.
