Amanda Todd's mom Carol fears term 'bullying' losing impact
Mother of bullying victim speaks out on Pink Shirt Day, says focus should be on kindness, respect
Students and advocates rallied in Vancouver this morning and the colour pink poured onto streets and school hallways across Canada, but one of B.C.'s most prominent anti-bullying activists is worried the movement is losing its impact.
Amanda Todd's mother, Carol, says she fears anti-bullying campaigns are losing their clout and youth are becoming desensitized to the word "bullying."
Today marks the seventh annual Pink Shirt Day, a national campaign to raise awareness and money to help prevent bullying.
Carol Todd has been an anti-bullying advocate since her daughter, Amanda, took her own life in October 2012 after posting a YouTube video detailing her torment at the hands of bullies.
She worries kids are starting to disconnect from anti-bullying campaigns.
"I know sometimes the word bullying is being used a bit too much sometimes and kids, older kids especially roll their eyes at it," said Todd.
Todd wants the focus to shift to positive messaging.
"We have to look at the other aspect of what bullying entails and that's about kindness and respect."
Pink shirt day began in 2007
Pink shirt day began in 2007 at a Nova Scotia high school after co-founders Travis Price and David Shepherd saw a grade nine student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
"Its unfortunate that we have to have those tragedies [like] the Amanda Todd's, the Rehtaeh Parsons to push ourselves further to do more about it," said Price, who is in Vancouver today raising awareness.
"It's unfortunate that we need to have those incidents to start the conversation all over again."