Ottawa, Ontario, February 26, 2014 – Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and over the Internet.
Today, on February 26, 2014 Canadians are encouraged to wear something pink to symbolize that our society will not tolerate bullying anywhere.
Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 as an initiative started by students David Shepherd and Travis Price. These teenagers organized students at their school to wear pink to stand with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
Our Government condemns bullying and has taken strong action to fight bullying both at school and online. This includes recently launching the next phase of our national anti-cyberbullying campaign, Stop Hating Online, to raise awareness of cyberbullying among parents and youth, including how to prevent it, how to deal with it, and how to report it when it happens.
We have listened to Canadians and are taking significant steps to address cyberbullying and bullying, including the introduction of legislation targeting the non-consensual distribution of images.
Our Government will continue to stand up for victims and fight bullying in all of its forms.
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For further information:
Jean-Christophe de Le Rue
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Jean-Christophe.deLeRue@ps-sp.gc.ca | 613.797.0671 | @JCDLR
