Hello Parents and Guardians,
Today is National Pink Shirt Day in support of Antibullying work being done across Canada. We had a virtual presentation by Winnipeg Police Services Officer Constable Buduhan, who has completed many presentations in Winnipeg schools.
Const. Buduhan spoke of bullying as a form of aggression with a power imbalance and explored some reasons students can be aggressive. He then covered different forms of bullying (verbal, social, physical, cyberbullying) and even included an example of how he was bullied as a child. He spent some time discussing the outcomes of bullying, including tragic ends for young children and even adults, using the former Miss USA winner Chelsie Kryst as an example.
Students in middle school, especially those who come from different backgrounds, identify as LGBTQ+ or struggle in school can be easy targets of bullying. He advocated that students stand up for each other in the following ways:
- Take a stand against bullying
- Don’t join in by putting yourself down
- Tell an adult (parent, teacher, counsellor, administrator, school resource officer)
- Support the victim
- Tell the bully to stop
- Befriend the victim
- Lead the victim away
Constable Buduhan even addressed how you can be better if you are the bully.
Please take a moment to ask your child what they learned today. If they witness bullying (more than kids being mean to each other) in the school they should come forward and speak to someone in the school. If you feel your child may be triggered by the presentation, please reach out to Mr. MacNeil or Mrs. Waters so that we can follow up. Our hope is that knowledge gained today will help our students continue to develop pro-social behaviours and make Bruce a safe space for all.
Have a great night.
