

Web Staff, cp24.com





Canadians are being urged to stand up to bullying as Bullying Awareness Week kicks off with events across the country Monday and CP24 is asking you to help make a difference.

This year, organizers are focusing on cyber-bullying and asking people to sign a pledge to stand up to online harassment.

Kids Help Phone is encouraging people to tweet or put the following message in their Facebook status or email signature: "I will not tolerate hurtful comments online. Cyber-bullying will be reported to site administrators. Join me in taking a stand."

Furthermore, CP24 has opened up a discussion forum (at the bottom of this page) so that we can all share stories of how we've been bullied and how we've dealt with it.

The idea is to spark a conversation, lend each other support and to take a unified stand at what is quickly becoming a major issue among not only teens but anyone who is engaged online.

Even if you are the one who may be bullying others, we want to hear from you. Why do you do it? What would make you stop? Be aware. We will not be publishing any comments that are not constructive to the conversation.

85% of bullying incidents are witnessed by others

Most people who spend time online likely see examples of cyber-bullying – insults in the comments sections of websites, online gossiping, cruel emails and texts and the posting of embarrassing photos on Facebook groups – but do nothing about it, Kids Help Phone stated in a news release.

Taking a stand can be an effective solution to reduce bullying, the organization said.

Research indicates 85 per cent of bullying incidents are witnessed by other students, but bystanders try to stop it only 11 to 22 per cent of the time, Kids Help Phone said.

In a recent Statistics Canada survey, about one in 10 adults said a child aged eight to 17 in their household had been a victim of cyber-bullying.

Of those households, the child was 12 or 13 in 40 per cent of the cases, and between 15 and 19 in 26 per cent of the cases.

About 65 per cent of kids polled in a recent Kids Help Phone survey admitted to being victims of cyber-bullying.

Bell Media is a partner in the anti-bullying campaign. CP24 is a division of Bell Media.

Take a stand against cyber bullying. Speak up and speak out.