In the average Canadian elementary school classroom of 20 kids, 3 spend their day afraid.
It has often been observed, and now confirmed, that bullying interferes in a student’s ability to learn. Instead of focusing on their science project children are thinking about how they can avoid going outside at recess, how they can stay out of school the next day, or how they can walk home without being seen. We now know that bullying has a large impact on a child’s educational success.
Following her research on school achievement and bullying, Dr. Tanya Beran (Faculty of Education, University of Calgary) received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant to “inform the public to mobilize social change.” In an effort to improve child & youth educational and social development, the Action Committee against Violence (ACAV), in collaboration with the community partner initiative, Action Committee Against Bullying & Harassment (ACAB&H), developed HowWasYourDay.ca as our social marketing campaign.
To-date many anti-bullying campaigns have focused on social awareness. Our goal is to move beyond awareness and move toward action. Why do we need this move? Because, bullying should no longer be a part of growing up and just a school problem.
Parents are aware that bullying is a reality in their children’s lives but often do not know how to identify warning signs, how to stop the bullying and where to turn to for support for themselves and their children. Through this campaign, we hope to engage parents to access information, programs and services.
Our social marketing campaign is a component of the larger coordinated community response in Calgary. Since June 2003, The Action Committee Against Bullying and Harassment has worked to increase community awareness, provide alternative solutions to violence, create interventions that address multiple risk factors, identify gaps in services, strengthen the cross-sectoral response to bullying, and provide professional development training.
Children are our future.
We want all children to have safe, healthy & happy childhoods and successful learning experiences. To accomplish this bullying must become socially unacceptable.