This has got to be one of my favorite back-to-school stories… and best ever bullying story.
Like all parents, I am concerned about bullying. I am also concerned that many of the ways that we encourage kids to deal with bullying are at best ineffective – and at worst set them up for even more torment. That is what’s so great about this story – instead of making the victim responsible for ‘fixing’ the problem the majority of the student community stood up together and said “enough.”
It seems that a young man showed up for his first day of upper school wearing a pink shirt – and was seriously harassed for his ‘offense.’
Fortunately, other students noticed, and having had “enough” decided to take action.
Two of the students, 12th grade boys, went out and purchased 50 pink t-shirts and handed them out to friends to wear the next day. They also e-mailed friends and classmates who turned to their own closets in order to lend support.
On Day Two at Central Kings Rural High School in Cambridge, Nova Scotia school students and faculty alike were treated to the sight of a sea of pink… as if the majority of the student body was challenging the bullies to take them on as a whole.
Asking kids who are being bullied to take action on their own behalf often sets them up for more torment…. despite the best of intentions ‘telling an adult’ often leads to escalated and more secretive bullying. But when the whole community stands together and says “enough”…. Well, that’s pretty hard to ignore.
Want all the details? Click here to read the original news story http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2007/09/18/pink-tshirts-students.html
