Sober Statistics on Bullying in Canada

Sober Statistics on Bullying in Canada

Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent

“In Canada, at least one in three adolescent students has reported being bullied. Almost half of parents have reported having a child that is the victim of bullying. Studies have found bullying occurs once very seven minutes on the playground and once every 25 minutes in the classrooms,” Kathleen Bohaychuk, Family Wellness Worker for St. Martin’s School and St. Mary’s School said. In the majority of cases, bullying stops within 10 seconds when peers intervene, or do not support the bullying behaviour.

The types of bullying are verbal bullying which includes name-calling, sarcasm, teasing, spreading rumours, threatening, making negative references to one’s culture, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, and unwanted sexual comments.

Social bullying could be mobbing, scapegoating, excluding others from a group, humiliating others with public gestures or giraffe intended to put others down.

Physical bullying is hitting, poking, pinching, chasing, shoving, coercing, destroying or stealing belongings, and unwanted sexual touching.

Cyber bullying is using the internet or text messaging to intimidate, put-down, spread rumours or make fun of someone.

Bullying affects its victims by making people upset. It can make children feel lonely, unhappy and frightened. It can make them unsafe and think there must be something wrong with them. Children can lose confidence and may not want to go to school anymore. It may even make them sick.

If bullying isn’t stopped, it also hurts the bystanders, as well as the person who bullies others. Bystanders are afraid they could be the next victim. Even if they feel badly for the person being bullied, they avoid getting involved in order to protect themselves or because they aren’t sure what to do.

Children who learn they can get away with violence and aggression continue to do so in adulthood. They have a higher chance of getting involved in dating aggression, sexual harassment, and criminal behaviour later in life.

Stress and anxiety causes by bullying and harassment can make it more difficult for kids to learn.

Children who bully may have a lack of self-esteem, some from a school or home that lacks a warm and welcoming environment; have lack of connection or a significant positive relationship with an adult. Peer pressure and the desire to fit in or be seen as popular can also cause bullying.

We teach children about bullying because it’s important for students to understand that bullying is not a normal part of growing up and that it is never an acceptable behaviour. If they see that someone is being bullied, they should never watch, laugh, or join in. It’s critical to help kids see the value of offering empathy, kindness, compassion and support to those who are bullied and that they must speak out.

Preventative measures to put an end to cyberbullying are don’t try to reason with or talk to someone who is cyberbullying you, block them, tell a trusted adult, inform your school, use a help line and/or report it to police.

Then save any instant messages or emails you receive from the person bullying you, or capture any comments or images that have been posted online.

Education is the key to making bullying a thing of the past. Youth-led bullying prevention programs are associated with an increase in student and staff intervention to stop bullying. Having clear policies and guidelines outlined to help adults intervene effectively with incidents of disrespectful behaviour and having clear, consistent and fair behavioral norms for all students who help decrease bullying.

Pink Shirt Day

A look at the long-term effects of bullying

Bullying continues to be a major problem in Canadian schools, workplaces, homes and digital spaces. That’s why on Pink Shirt Day, which takes place on February 23, people across the country are encouraged to raise awareness about the issue and take a stand against bullying.

It’s a common misconception that bullying is a normal part of growing up. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Childhood bullying isn’t only traumatic in the short term, it can also have detrimental long-term effects.

Lifelong consequences

Research shows that the impact of childhood bullying can last well into adulthood. In fact, people who were bullied as children tend to have poorer physical health and are at an increased risk of developing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Bullying can also lead to social withdrawal, poor employment outcomes and self-esteem issues.

If you were bullied as a child and are still impacted by the experience, it’s important to acknowledge what happened to you and make healing a priority. Consider talking to a therapist or counsellor about your experience.

And if you have children, remember that early intervention is the key to preventing long-lasting ill effects.