COCHRANE— Serving as a symbolic rally cry to end bullying, Pink Shirt Day serves as a reminder that the community can work together to help students who experience bullying.
Pink Shirt Day began in Nova Scotia in 2007 after a student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. The day has grown to represent a call to action to take a stand against bullying and the pink shirt now serves as a symbol of support for anyone who has been bullied.
This year’s Pink Shirt Day takes place on Wednesday (Feb. 24).
Love is Louder Cochrane is a non-profit that was launched to spread kindness and foster an anti-bullying movement.
The group was created by concerned mothers determined to help lessen the impact of bullying in the community, said co-founder Jennifer Spackman. Spackman and her co-founders Natalie Racket, Samantha Campbell and Emily Bowan were united in the desire to prove “love is louder than hate.”
“Unfortunately, the sad reality is bullying is never going to completely go away,” Spackman said. “We’re never going to solve the bullying problem but we can sweep in and try and make it better.”
Schools need to have Pink Shirt Day events, Spackman said, adding "saying no to bullying" should be a goal year-round.
It is important to have programs in place to help students who are experiencing bullying or for those who witness someone being bullied, she added.
“Bullying, is, unfortunately, alive and well,” Spackman said. "Wearing a pink shirt doesn’t do enough.”
Bullying is experienced year-round by students, she said, and when bullying occurs it needs to be dealt with.
Love is Louder hopes to see schools dedicate entire days to doing helpful things for others and fostering an environment that prizes kindness over bullying.
“Every day of the week should be focussed on kindness and absolutely zero tolerance for bullying," she said.
While it may be challenging to completely end of bullying, the community can work together to help those in need.
Spackman said Love is Louder encourages those who experience bullying to seek out those who can help like Love is Louder so they do not feel alone in their experience.
Love is Louder supports Pink Shirt Day and loves the idea of promoting doing kind acts for others. They were looking forward to organizing an event for 2021, however they were unable to do so due to COVID-19.
This year has proven to especially challenging, she noted, because they are unable to directly connect with youth because of current public health regulations.
She noted the public health measures are playing a part in making students feeling more isolated as they are required to be with their cohorts, so if they are experiencing bullying, they may not be able to visit supports in a separate cohort for relief.
“You’re stuck in the situation— They can’t go out and play with other kids they’re stuck with that bully in the class,” Spackman said.
It can be hard to ask for help when experiencing bullying and this makes it important for parents to check with their children and make sure they are doing OK.
She especially encouraged parents to keep an eye on social media as some students are experiencing online harassment during COVID-19 restrictions.
“Social media is a really powerful tool,” Spackman said.
She added protecting students from bullying starts at home. Parents need to take steps to ensure it is understood bullying is unacceptable.
“Parents and teachers need to work together,” Spackman said.
