2018 FOCUS: CYBERBULLYING
In today’s digital world, it can be impossible to escape online
bullying, whether it takes the shape of harassment, spreading rumours, sharing
embarrassing information or threats. This year, Pink Shirt Day is encouraging
others to combat cyberbullying by thinking twice before posting something
negative, and instead using the internet to spread kindness - because we
know that Nice Needs No Filter!
WHAT
IS BULLYING?
WHAT
IS BULLYING?
Bullying is a form of aggression where there
is a power imbalance; the person doing the bullying has power over the person
being victimized. In additional to any physical trauma incurred, bullying can
result in serious emotional problems, including anxiety, low self-esteem, or
depression.
TYPES
OF BULLYING
- Physical
bullying: using physical force or aggression against another person (e.g.,
hitting)
- Verbal
bullying: using words to verbally attack someone (e.g., name-calling)
- Social/relational
bullying: trying to hurt someone through excluding them, spreading rumours
or ignoring them (e.g., gossiping)
- Cyberbullying:
using electronic media to threaten, embarrass, intimidate, or exclude
someone, or to damage their reputation (e.g., sending threatening text
messages).
BULLYING
VS HARASSMENT
Bullying and harassment are similar, yet
different:
- Harassment
is similar to bullying because someone hurts another person through cruel,
offensive and insulting behaviours.
- Harassment
is different from bullying in that it is a form of discrimination.
WHAT
IS DISCRIMINATION?
Discrimination is treating someone differently
or poorly based on certain characteristics or differences. Bullying turns into
harassment when the behaviour goes against Canada’s Human Rights Laws and
focuses on treating people differently because of:
- Age
- Race
(skin colour, facial features)
- Ethnicity
(culture, where they live, how they live, how they dress)
- Religion
(religious beliefs)
- Sex
Sexual orientation (if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual)
- Family
status (if they are from a single parent family, adopted family, step
family, foster family, non-biological gay or lesbian parent family)
- Marital
status (if they are single, legally married, common-law spouse, widowed,
or divorced)
- Physical
and mental disability (if they have a mental illness, learning disability,
use a wheelchair)
