Resources

Bullying on the playground occurs every 7 minutes. Teachers are only present 4% of the time when a bullying incident occurs. Those are some of the statistical information I got from taking the bully IQ test on www.b-free.ca, a website for youth on bullying. Even though bullying seems to happen frequently, there IS something we can do about it. There is a wide range of resources that people can go to or call to either get more information about bullying or to talk to someone about it. Three provincial websites that provide a lot of information, tips, and support for three different age groups are www.teamheroesca (for children), the already mentioned www.b-free.ca (for youth) and www.bullyfreealberta.ca (for adults).

I really like the S-Team Heroes website because they have this awesome game where you choose to be any of the S-team members. Your character then takes a walk where he or she will encounter different bullies. The game will then give you two options on what your character should do. If the right choice is chosen then you will move on, but if the wrong choice is chosen, the game will tell you why it’s wrong and let you choose again. This game allows you to encounter different bullying incidents and not get hurt if you make a wrong choice. Afterward you can from the experience.

What I like about the b-free.ca youth website is the inspirational stories. Sometimes just sharing your story with someone can show them that they are not alone. Sharing your courage on how you stand up to bullies by telling somebody or asking for help can show others that they are not powerless and can do something about it. Stories can be very powerful if told in the right context. This site not only have inspirational stories, they also have a bully quiz, and lots of information such as anti-bullying tactics and what to do if you are a bystander.
If any of you know of any good websites, please feel free to share them. Also feel free to share your inspirational stories.

Mike