anti bullying week

Anti – Bullying Week 2017

By Akash Kanwar, Seiya Tanase & Ishaan Shah 

“First they ignore you,

Then they laugh at you,

Then they fight you,

Then you win. “

~Mahatma Gandhi

Did you know that around 50% of school children have been bullied this year? Did you know that over 16,000 young people miss school due to bullying every year? Did you know, that there were over 24,000 ChildLine sessions with children about bullying in 2016/17? Did you know that 44% of young people have gone into depression due to bullying with 33% committing some form of suicide?  

On the 13th to 17th of November, HABS endorsed Anti-Bullying Week. Mr Bass, the Head of PSHCEE and Wellbeing, put together a series of resources that allowed the boys to discuss these issues during form time.  

 

 

 

On Wednesday, Mr Hall explored the impacts of bullying, particularly to do with the power of words. When we speak to other people, or when we text our friends – as is increasingly relevant today – we are faced with the choice of either saying something that is supportive and positive, or something that is cruel and negative. Metaphorically speaking, we have an ability to “plant seeds of hope, support and encouragement” in the minds of those we are speaking to, but we can also plant seeds of doubt, to make them feel “distanced” from society. In short, we must choose our words carefully. To illustrate this point, Mr Hall gave the example of Admiral William McRaven. Admiral William McRaven was a United States Marine Admiral who has served in the Marines for 37 years. He spoke of an episode when he was with his training class. He spoke about how when they were about to give up, one of the men started to sing. As he sang, the rest of the class joined his song. Admiral William McRaven said, that if there is one thing that he learnt in his travels, it is that “one person can change the world by giving others hope”. 

Simple words can change one person’s outlook. Are we the kinds of people who say things, daily such as “Are you ok?” or “Thank you”? Because words like that can bring a smile to people’s faces and warmth to their heart. Or are we those who “sow seeds of doubt” by saying phrases such as “You have no friends”? 

 

HABS has a strict zero-tolerance approach to bullying and as a school will never tolerate such actions.

“Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.”

Robin Sharma