A silent and highly infectious disease has been eating away at our youth for years. An act previously reserved for the schoolyard, bullying now occurs in the safe haven of a child’s home. Cyber bullying has tormented and dissolved confidence amongst youth with devastating consequences. Shocking effects of the faceless crime motivated one local organization to focus its awareness efforts on the destructive societal issue.
The Boys and Girls Club of Lethbridge hold an annual awareness campaign that focuses on the effects of bullying and provides information and support to assist those looking for help. Byron Dent, executive director of youth services, believes in ensuring the youth have a voice when it comes to resolving issues that affect them. I Stand Against is an initiative that started in Lethbridge and was created by the youth within the club.
“I really believe the strength to end bullying and abuse and discrimination comes from empowering the young person who is facing abuse and discrimination and empowering the community around them.”
The support of young voices was made clear at the I Stand Against campaign evening, held on anti-bullying day Feb. 24. The youth who spoke at the event held the attention of their peers and elders with their own stories and solutions to help combat the effects of bullying.
Manisha Neopaney and Suzana Berisa felt strongly about the issue of cyber bullying and in particular, the abuse of those in the LGBTQ community.
“If everybody was the same, it would just be boring and everyone would look the same. There are no perfect people and it’s ok to be different,” said Neopaney.
Supporters of the anti-bullying movement could be seen with I Stand Against written across the backs of their hands while others simply wore the colour pink. Lethbridge College celebrated its support of the movement by selling pink t-shirts on campus with the proceeds going towards the Boys and Girls club amongst other local organizations.
Student Sharyn Moore showed her support for the anti-bullying movement, proudly wearing the colour pink to show how she feels about those that abuse and discriminate others.
“My twin sister got bullied a lot in school so it’s always kind of been my thing to defend and stand up for people who get bullied,” said Moore.
With the digital age advancing further, Dent believes it’s vital to educate people on the importance cyber bullying and how devastating it can be to young minds.
“You have Facebook groups that are targeting people, you see harassment in gaming and basically we live in a digital world so wherever there’s a digital society you’re going to have abusers and victims and bystanders just like in the real world,” said Dent.
The I Stand Against campaign is just one of the resources available to educate and help those who have been affected by bullying. The anti-bullying movement has grown exponentially and Dent says they’ll now be looking for a bigger venue to hold future events.
Charlie Silver and Buster McKeag enjoy a quiet moment at the Lethbridge Boys and Girls Club’s I Stand Against event which focused on anti-bullying in the LGBTQ community at the Galt Museum and Archives on Feb. 24.
