22/05/2015

Stopping the bullying everyone’s responsibility

Unitec today marked Pink Shirt Day event in what is becoming a strong tradition for its Mt Albert and Waitakere Campuses.

Staff and students turned the Hub into a sea of pink to show that bullying of any kind will not be tolerated at Unitec. A series of guest speakers called on the crowd to end the social trend of standing back and doing nothing while bullying and harassment was happening around them.

Current communications student Gal Stern, Student President Matalina O'Mara and Unitec CEO Rick Ede spoke about their own personal experiences dealing with bullying, the effects of bullying and how to tackle the problem.

"We have a wonderfully diverse student and staff make up so our goal is to have respect for individuals despite where they are from and what they look like," Ede said.

The message from the day was Speak Up, Stand Together and Stop Bullying!

Unitec Equity and Diversity manager Matthew Farry stressed that the prevention of bullying and harassment is the responsibility of every single person, not just those directly involved.

“It doesn’t matter how many policies an organisation has for countering bullying, on its own, this will not prevent bullying,” he says.

“At Unitec we are trying to build a culture where staff and students identify it and stand up against bullying together – to stop it for all parties involved. No one alone is going to stop bullying. We have to call it and stand together against it for the sake of the victim, but also the bully.”

Farry says as the Equity and Diversity manager it is his responsibility to educate both staff and students about bullying and the steps they can take to act when they see it.

“In my experience, wherever bullying exists there is collusion, until a bystander says ‘It’s not okay”.

“Pink Shirt Day exists because bystanders became allies.”

ENDS

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