End the bullying, spread kindness instead
17 May 2019
There were pink shirts, pink ties, and pink t-shirts on the campus on Friday as College joined the global Pink Shirt Day celebrating diversity and taking a stand against bullying.
It was a chance for the College community to show its support to end bullying everywhere and spread kindness.
Pink Shirt Day is led by the Mental Health Foundation and aims to create environments where everyone can feel safe, valued and respected.
It’s the day when workplaces, schools, groups and individuals join the movement to make a stand against bullying. More than 1000 schools and 850 workplaces took part this year.
At College, the impact was obvious with many boys and staff wearing pink clothing.
Having compassion and empathy are among the character attributes College wants each future graduate to be able to demonstrate.
Bullying is a serious issue in New Zealand; our schools have the second highest rate of bullying out of 51 countries, and one in five workers are affected by it. People who identify as part of the rainbow community experience higher rates of bullying and studies show people who are bullied are more likely to experience mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.
