A national poll commissioned by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada has discovered that half of all adult Canadians were bullied as children, and a third of those believe that the bullying has had a lasting harmful effect on their lives.
The Harris/Decima poll, called the Step Up to Strike Out Bullying Survey, was conducted between Jan. 5 and 8 with a national random sample of 1,034 adult Canadians and is considered accurate 19 times out of 20.
The poll also discovered that 62 per cent of those that were bullied feel they would have benefited from a volunteer adult mentor.
As part of national Pink Shirt Day, today (Feb. 29), BBBSC is doing its part to help eliminated bullying across the country.
“We are doing the best we can to stop bullying, but more volunteers and financial resources are needed to get the job done,” says Bruce MacDonald, president of the BBBSC.
“Mentoring programs can significantly contribute to reducing bullying and its harmful effects,” he says.
“By giving children and teenagers the guidance they need to become the positive and caring individuals they are capable of being, we can steer them to a positive path in life.”
Keesha Rosario of Pitt Meadows was a little sister herself when she was a teenager and the positive guidance she received led her to become a big sister to a teenage girl in Surrey named Teana, who is now 22 years old.
Rosario was bullied at school by a student counselor when she was in Grades 11 and 12.
“I was told that I wasn’t post-secondary-school material and that I shouldn’t bother applying or striving for post-secondary education,” says Rosario.
However, Rosario shared her problems with her big sister, Trish, who was appalled by the counselor’s conduct.
“She helped give me the confidence and self-esteem to press forward no matter what people said,” says Rosario.
Teana’s bullying took place in Grades 10 and 11. She was verbally and physically bullied by a group of girls at her high school.
“She didn’t enjoy that world,” explains Rosario. “She kept her ear phones on and it affected her academics.”
“But, she looked forward to our time together because she knew she had a friend.
“Just listening. Just being a mentor and asking open-ended questions, you can get youth to talk,” says Rosario
“Everyone needs a mentor in their lives. You could be the bully or the bullied.”
Big Brothers and Big Sisters provides one-on-one and in-school mentoring services to children and teens in more than 1,000 communities across Canada.
Men and women aged 18 and older are paired with a child or teenager who needs an adult role model.
Currently, across Canada, there are more than 27,000 children matched with adults in the organization’s one-on-one programs and it’s looking to find matches for another 10,000 children and teens on a waiting list.
The 23rd annual Bowl for Kids Sake – Big Brothers Big Sisters’ premier fundraising event –will be taking place at REVS bowling centre at 22730 – 119th Ave., Maple Ridge on March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. and March 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Last year, Bowl For Kids Sake raised more than $80,000 in the Fraser Valley.
Two years ago, $5,000 was raised in Maple Ridge.
Last year, though, due to reduced services of the organization’s local branch, which supports the Mission, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows areas, the event was cancelled, although the Haney Rotary raised $2,500 for the cause.
This year, after restructuring the branch, the bowling fundraiser will once again take place.
Teams of four to six people are encouraged to choose a fun name and dress up for the event.
Manual pledge forms are available for cash and cheque donations and there is also on online option for donations by credit card.
Two hours of bowling will be provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters, including shoe rental, snacks and a souvenir T-shirt.
There will also be prizes for individuals who raised the most money.
• To register a team or for more information go to mentoringworks.ca.