A brief history of Pink Shirt Day
February 22nd is Pink Shirt Day, a bullying awareness movement that started back in 2007. According to CBC Kids,
two grade 12 students noticed a grade 9 student, on their first day, getting bullied for wearing a shirt that was pink. In
response to the unacceptable behavior, the grade 12ers started handing out pink shirts to other students in their
school. As a result, by Friday most of them were dressed in their pink shirts, to support their peer! 1
What bullying is, how and why it’s done
When a person is causing harm repeatedly to another (a.k.a. the “target”) on purpose, and it results in physical
and/or emotional pain, bullying is taking place. It can happen in many forms, such as pushing and shoving, name-calling, and online harassment.
Bullying may be very obvious “jabs”, or more subtle, by the use of passive-aggressive comments or actions. The target
may be left feeling hurt, scared, angry, helpless, and isolated, and may develop short or long-term mental issues. Worst of all,
they may develop suicidal thoughts and may attempt to take their life.
There are many reasons why a bully may justify what they say and do. Some commonly known explanations include
low self-esteem, insecurity, peer pressure, not knowing how to socialize properly, lashing out from being bullied
themselves, and using it as a defense mechanism 2. Regardless of the rationale, bullying is very serious and is never
appropriate.
My experience
From the playground to the office, throughout my life I’ve seen many examples of bullying. I’ve watched it happen to
peers, and I have been targeted. My experiences started when I was in elementary school. I was regularly ridiculed,
chased around the playground while being called names, and laughed at and excluded by my classmates. I thought I
was different in a very negative way, and therefore believed I didn’t belong anywhere. Even worse, I believed the
horrible things that were said to me. Although I am now in my mid-forties the way I was treated has left deep
emotional scars that have impacted all areas of my life, especially my mental health.
Support
If you are being targeted please know it is not your fault. When I was bullied, I thought I must be doing something to
deserve it. Because I blamed myself, it took a long time for me to reach out for help - I did not feel worthy of it. When
I finally understood it was not my fault, I started looking into how I can start healing.
The best thing I did for myself started talking about my experience. I shared with loved ones and was taught
mindfulness and assertiveness techniques, and began rebuilding my confidence and self-worth, through therapy.
Most importantly I am remembering to be gentle with myself, and take life one day at a time.
Do you know somebody who is being bullied? If so, do not be afraid to support the target. Let them know you are
here for them. Write down every time bullying happens so there’s a record, and report it. When the bully is lashing
out, and if you feel safe doing so, stand up to them kindly. Start a movement, like Pink Shirt Day. You can help be part
of the solution!
1 CBC Kids Team (2022, April 12). What is Pink Shirt Day? CBC Kids.
https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/what-is-pink-shirt-day
2 BetterHelp Editorial Team (2023, February 2). Understanding Bullying And Its Causes. BetterHelp.
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/personality-disorders/why-does-bullying-happen-understanding-the-person-behind-the-bully/
