When he was in high school, he was bullied for years after he refused to give one of his classmates money.
“It made me feel like I wasn’t important. What did I do to them, for to treat me like this,” he said.
Though he thought about speaking to his mom or friends at school, he was too afraid and ashamed of himself for not being strong enough to handle it.
“I didn’t do anything and I held back. All I could do was cry.”
Eventually, the classmate who was bullying Sawyer was expelled. Talking to the guidance counsellor afterward gave him the courage to tell others what he went through.
Sawyer shared his story on Feb. 22, which has become known as Pink Shirt Day, a day formed to stand up against bullying.
Allison Doughart, director of P.E.I. Crime Stoppers and a recruitment and retention officer at Holland College, says there is never a justified reason for a person to bully another person, she said.
“I think bullying is a heartbreaking experience and it is something that can’t help to be passionate about.”
She advises families to begin speaking about bullying with their children at a young age.
“I sent my little guy to school today wearing pink, he’s four years old. He didn’t even know what a bully was, so I had to explain to him what bullying was,” she said. “To have the conversation and start to talk about it is really important.”
Sawyer agrees talking about bullying is the best way to fight it. He says the experience of finally opening up to a counsellor has made him more confident.
A few years ago, the prospect of walking out on to a stage in front a crowd of people would have scared him. Now Sawyer, a marketing and advertising Bahamian student at Holland College, is running for student union president.
“It was tough going through high school and being called names and picked on but at the end of the day I made it through. And I made it through stronger and wiser.”
When he was in high school, he was bullied for years after he refused to give one of his classmates money.
“It made me feel like I wasn’t important. What did I do to them, for to treat me like this,” he said.
Though he thought about speaking to his mom or friends at school, he was too afraid and ashamed of himself for not being strong enough to handle it.
“I didn’t do anything and I held back. All I could do was cry.”
Eventually, the classmate who was bullying Sawyer was expelled. Talking to the guidance counsellor afterward gave him the courage to tell others what he went through.
Sawyer shared his story on Feb. 22, which has become known as Pink Shirt Day, a day formed to stand up against bullying.
Allison Doughart, director of P.E.I. Crime Stoppers and a recruitment and retention officer at Holland College, says there is never a justified reason for a person to bully another person, she said.
“I think bullying is a heartbreaking experience and it is something that can’t help to be passionate about.”
She advises families to begin speaking about bullying with their children at a young age.
“I sent my little guy to school today wearing pink, he’s four years old. He didn’t even know what a bully was, so I had to explain to him what bullying was,” she said. “To have the conversation and start to talk about it is really important.”
Sawyer agrees talking about bullying is the best way to fight it. He says the experience of finally opening up to a counsellor has made him more confident.
A few years ago, the prospect of walking out on to a stage in front a crowd of people would have scared him. Now Sawyer, a marketing and advertising Bahamian student at Holland College, is running for student union president.
“It was tough going through high school and being called names and picked on but at the end of the day I made it through. And I made it through stronger and wiser.”
About Pink Shirt Day
Pink Shirt Day was started in 2007 in Nova Scotia by two high school students who noticed a friend being bullied for wearing pink. The class decided to wear pink to make a stand against the bullies.
In P.E.I., the Charlottetown Islanders hockey team and Amalgamated Dairies Limited have teamed up to sponsor anti-bullying shirts. The Pink Shirt Day designs were made by high school student Corrin Doucette, who won a contest to have her drawing on the featured. Proceeds from the sale of the shirts go to P.E.I. Crime Stoppers and Boys and Girls clubs throughout the Island.