Say NO WAY to bullying!

Did you know on Friday 15th March 2013 it was National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence?

This day is an opportunity for teachers, students, parents and the community to take a stand against bullying and violence. It is an annual day providing focus for schools who want to say NO WAY to bullying and to strengthen the everyday message that bullying and violence at school are not okay at any time.

I shake my head and am perplexed that there is still bullying in our schools, workplaces and relationships. It effects me greatly seeing clips on TV of bullying and violence amongst kids caught on camera phones and posted on the Internet.

Who are these bullies? Why do they bully? Is it because once they were bullied? Did their parents bully? Is it just they way they are?

I had experiences of being bullied at school and my experiences are nowhere near as bad as others I have heard.

In Year 5, my "friends"  teased me about having no boobs. They made up a song about it and teased me incessantly.

The same "friends" ostracised me from the group, calling me a traitor, because one morning I was talking to another girl in my class instead of them. I regressed and was scared to talk to anyone.

In my early high school years, some of the girls in my group of friends were just plain mean, sometimes they bullied me and other times bullied someone else.

An older boy used to kick soccer balls at me and he pushed one of my friends down the stairs. On the bus there was name calling and heckling by the older kids. I was always petrified to get stuck up the back of the bus with them.

I look back and wish I had said "STOP!" But I was timid then. I also wish I had stood up for my friends who had been bullied. But I was timid then. Not standing up for my friends when they too were bullied made me as bad as the bullies. I was a bystander and let it continue. These kids weren't held accountable for their actions.

As I got older I got tougher.

Now I have kids and am I trying to teach them to be tough and to say NO WAY to bullying of any kind.

Next year when Little Miss 4 starts school I will be asking the school to get involved in the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. This year there were 1400 schools involved, next year I am hoping there are at least 1401.

Is your school involved?

Are you teaching your kids to say NO WAY to bullying?