École des Beaux-Lacs launched its anti-bullying campaign this week, a specialized program designed to give students the vocabulary to disagree with each other and stand up for what they believe in.
According to principal Lise Gratton, there was no particular problem calling for an anti-bullying program in the school, though, she said, any time you have a large number of people together, there will be disagreements. It was identified as a priority at meetings last year, however, so she had specialists brought in to teach staff how to teach the students.
The program is a long-term one, designed to increase the students' learning base each year, to adjust depending on age, and give them the ability to cope with different situations in their homes, schools, and communities.
Taking a proactive stance on bullying before it results in tragedy is something worth celebrating.
Bullying has made national headlines in the last few years as the suicides of several lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) youth have brought the nation's attention to the issue. With the suicide deaths of 15-year-old Canadian Jamie Hubley on Oct. 14, and Jamey Rodemeyer last month, only the most recent in a series of tragedies resulting from bullying at school and online, it is long past the time when bullying stopped being an accepted part of schoolyard culture.
Bullying, for any reason, is wrong. Whether a child is gay, straight, bisexual, or transgendered, bullying has no place in our schools, where children should feel safe and protected.
Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan started the idea of Spirit Day in 2010, a day to stand together against the bullying of LGBT youth. Wearing purple on Oct. 20 is an easy way to support LGBT youth, and to show an awareness of the issue.
It's more than wearing purple, though. It's recognizing our children need to be protected from each other and themselves.
Jamie Hubley's father, Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley, released a statement after his son's death, saying, “We will not say that the bullying was the only reason for James's decision to take his own life, but it was definitely a factor. As his family and friends or even if you never met him but want to help, we must do whatever we can to wipe out bullying for any reason in our society and especially in our schools.
“Young people are very vulnerable and have enough pressures in life to have to deal with aside from the stress of being bullied. My family's wish is that no more families have to suffer the unbearable pain of losing a child. No child should have to deal with depression or feel hated because of their beliefs – that is not the Canadian way of treating others.”
There are other organizations out there trying to give LGBT youth reassurance it gets better — like the It Gets Better Project (itgetsbetter.org), where celebrities and ordinary people can post videos offering inspiration for those dealing with bullying and harassment, promising them it will get better.
We can do more. Bullying needs to be stopped, and congratulations to École des Beaux-Lacs for taking steps to keep their students safe.
