Every now and then, I have the fortune of participating in some amazing events and campaigns that really mean a lot to me. There are social media programs and campaigns that truly do make a difference in the lives of others and this is one of them.
Putting a stop to bullying starts here.
Together with the cast of Degrassi and Leave Out Violence (LOVE), #Riocan is joining forces in the fight to end bullying.
The launch of the Red Dot Safe Spot program creates bully-free zones in RioCan malls and shopping centres across Canada where young people can hang out and feel safe in their local communities.
I think it’s great when businesses make it a point to have initiatives like the Red Dot Safe Spot bully-free safe zones campaign. Okay, I’m also excited that some of the cast members from Degrassi are involved too.
The hard truth about bullying
– One in seven Canadian children aged 11 to 16 are victims of bullying
– 25 per cent of children in grades 4 to 6 have been bullied
– Bullying occurs once every 7 minutes on the playground and once every 25 minutes in the classroom
– In most cases, bullying stops within 10 seconds when peers intervene, or do not support the bullying behavior
– 64 per cent of kids have been bullied at school
– 12 per cent of kids were bullied regularly (once or more a week)
– 13 per cent of kids bullied other students regularly (once or more a week)
– 72 per cent of kids observe bullying at school at least once in a while
– 40 per cent have tried to intervene
– 64 per cent of kids consider bullying a normal part of school life
– 20-50 per cent say bullying can be a good thing (‘it makes you tougher’… ‘It’s a good way to solve problems…’)
– 25-33 per cent say bullying is sometimes OK or that it’s OK to pick on ‘losers’
– 61-80 per cent say bullies are often popular and enjoy high status among peers
– Adults who were bullied as children are more likely to suffer from depression in adulthood
Social networks are the new playground — cyberbullying can’t be ignored.
– 1 in 5 Canadian teens have witnessed online bullying
– 25 per cent of kids between 12-15 have witnessed cyber bullying
– 25 percent of girls and 17 per cent of boys have witnessed cyber bullying
– 51 per cent of all teens have had negative experience with social networking
– 16 per cent say someone has posted an embarrassing photo of them
– 12 per cent say someone has hacked their account
Join us for the No Bullying Here Twitter Party
Wednesday April 15, 2015
7:00pm EST
Hosts : @Ont_LOVE @Degrassi @helpmesara @ShesConnected
Hashtag: #RedDotSafeSpot
No RSVP
Prizes: 10 $50 Gift Cards
Twubs Page: http://twubs.com/
To find out more about Red Spot Safe Spot, visit the website here.
Hope chat with you on April 15th!
This is an imaginative campaign. I wonder how many young people will actually stop around that red dot though.
I agree it’s a great initiative to do. I hope that it works. I am sure it will help some kids.
All attention is good attention. My concern is that bullying happens so slyly. It’s not done out in the open often. It would be nice if the real effort extended to many other areas like the school bus, the school hall, the change rooms and gym class and lunch areas. I hate that bullying happens at all. I love that Degrassi teens are standing behind a smart socially aware initiative like this.