The topic of bullying is once again in the spotlight. Bullying Awareness Week (November 16-22, 2014) in Canada is an effort to prevent bullying in communities across the country through education and awareness. This is an important issue to highlight when you consider these facts about bullying:
- 40 percent of Canadian workers experience bullying on a weekly basis
- At least 1 in 3 adolescent students in Canada have reported being bullied recently
- 47 percent of Canadian parents report having a child victim of bullying
Bullying can take on many forms including name-calling, shoving or hitting, social exclusion, threats or intimidation, cyber bullying, and so forth. Regardless of how it manifests, bullying can have a significant impact on the victims’ mental health, and can increases their risk of suicide or mental health issues.
Check out the Bullying Awareness Week website for more information on how to participate in 2014 events.
Need help right now? Call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.
Additional resources on anti-bullying:
Facts and awareness resources:
Prevnet
Kids Help Phone Awareness Resources
Bullying.org
Erase Bullying (BC)
Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey
A Thin Line (privacy and cyberbullying resource)–
Public Health Agency of Canada – Bullying and Fighting
Workplace Mental Health Promotion – Harassment, Violence, Bullying and Mobbing
Organizations and programs dedicated to anti-bullying in Canada:
Stop a Bully
Canada’s Anti-Bullying Reporting System
Kids Help Phone – Bullying
Ontario Ministry of Education – Safe Schools: Preventing Bullying and Harassment
Ontario Ministry of Education – Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week
Ottawa Public Health – Mental Health, School Climate, and Bullying
The Canadian Safe School Network
Red Cross Bullying and Harassment Prevention Programs
Assessment Toolkit for Bullying, Harassment and Peer Relations at School
Bullying Canada
Bullying Awareness Week