It is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to the fear of bullying by other students - National Education Association. Approximately one in 10 children have bullied others and as many as 25% of children in grades four to six have been bullied. A 2004 study published in the medical Journal of Pediatrics found that about one in seven Canadian children aged 11 to 16 are victims of bullying. Studies have found bullying occurs once every seven minutes on the playground and once every 25 minutes in the classroom. In the majority of cases, bullying stops within 10 seconds when peers intervene, or do not support the bullying behavior – Bullying Canada.ca
“I just want you guys to know this (bullying) is really important, and through the speeches (Cassidy's speech, Sabrina's speech) I learned today it happens a lot to a lot of people, and it’s something that doesn’t have to happen,” Odyssée Secondary School Student Prime Minister Peter Soroye tells his peers during a student rally to launch National Bullying Awareness Week on Monday.
“Everyone just has to be more accepting I guess and I don’t know if somebody has any problems or troubles don’t be afraid to come to someone,” said Soroye, decked out in pink for National Wear Pink Day to mark National Bullying Awareness Week November 13 to the 19th.
National Bullying Awareness Week is a a week dedicated to promoting awareness of the top problem plaguing students across the country and how they can bring an end to the needless suffering and abuse of their peers.
Odyssée Secondary School students take the issue very serious and are doing what they can to stop bullying at the school and in the community.
During the rally Soroye made an impassioned statement telling his fellow students that they are not alone and no one needs to suffer in silence or even worse hurt themselves.
“All the people up here are willing to help you, I’m willing to help you and I just wanted you guys to know that you are not alone – you don’t have to be alone.”
Soroye says he didn't honestly know how prevalent bullying was just in his school till he heard speeches from his fellow students.
“I heard that speech today written by Sabrina Riche for the first time and I never realized she knew about a dozen students in her year that cut themselves sometimes. And that really hit home with me I never realized things were so bad even in our school. And that is definitely something we have to work on."
"It has strengthen my resolve now I just want to do more and more for this and just keep taking it to the next level."
Joining the effort Mayor Al Macdonald signed a proclamation on behalf of the city of North Bay recognizing this week as Bullying Awareness Week in the city, making North Bay the first city in Ontario so far to do so.
“I would like to congratulate your two leaders here (Peter and Rylee) for their commitment to bringing this message to your school, to our community and right across Ontario. Their leadership is incredible this is the only city in Ontario to declare or proclaim Bully Awareness Week in Ontario.”
“When Peter and Rylee visited the Mayor’s Office it didn’t take long before I could see their leadership abilities and the message that they were trying to bring to the community. “
School Principal Lise Dupuis says Odyssée has been working on addressing the issue in a whole school effort for over a year, but that this year they have a better understanding of the issue in their school. She says staff supports the program but it is the student-led initiatives throughout the year that address the issue of bullying.
"One of the most important things I think is the fact that it's students running the program and as adults we are helping the students but the fact that students are doing it ... I think other students will buy into this."
