Being bullied hurts, and no one should have to be a victim. All it takes is one person to set an example and stand up for what’s right by defending those who are being bullied.
Four of my fellow students, Jaimie Caiazzo, Magan Felitto, Sartia Nauth, Victoria Sanders and I (all members of the Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter at the Fashion Institute of Technology) decided to take a stand and create an anti-bullying campaign, Kind Over Matter, as part of our entry in the National Case Study Campaign Competition, Bateman. Our goal is to show others that no matter the situation, you should always be kind. We believe that acting with kindness is the first step to creating a bully-free zone wherever you go. In an effort to spread the love and create more leaders in the world, our team hit the streets to find people to take the Kind Over Matter Pledge, which is an oath promising to take a stand and speak up when they see others being bullied. Those who pledged vowed to make every zone a bully-free zone.
To make our fellow students on campus aware of the anti-bullying campaign, my team hosted an event, “Walk The Chalk,” which invited students to chalk kind words and happy feelings on the campus grounds. Walking through an abundance of colorful kind words created unity and acceptance throughout the FIT campus and community.
Although the competition will end on February 28, 2013, acting kind doesn’t have to. There are many ways to take a stand against bullying. Always remember to act with kindness, because you too can make a difference against bullying.