Stand up to bullying on Pink Shirt Day

You can take a stand against bullying by taking part in Pink Shirt Day – also known as Anti-Bullying Day – on Wednesday, February 26.

The day, which in Canada falls on the last Wednesday of February every year, raises awareness about bullying in schools, workplaces, at home and online.

The initiative started here in Canada in 2007, when 12th-grade students in Cambridge, N.S. bought and distributed 50 pink shirts after a fellow student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Since then, the Pink Shirt Day initiative, led by the CKNW Kids’ Fund, raises funds to support anti-bullying programs year-round.

People from more than 180 countries across the world show their support on Pink Shirt Day each year, according to Statistics Canada. It describes bullying as “a form of aggression where there is a power imbalance; it is behaviour that makes the person being bullied feel afraid, alone or uncomfortable. This can include such behaviours as being teased, insulted or excluded.”

Visit Statistics Canada for more information about bullying statistics.