It’s anti-bullying week and Travis Price, a former student who started Pink Shirt Day, is bringing his personal story of bullying to young people to heighten awareness and encourage everyone to get involved in the fight to stop it.
Price says he experienced bullying firsthand for years while growing up in Nova Scotia.
“That was the life of Travis Price, go to school, get bullied, come home,” says Price.
Price co-founded the anti-bullying movement known as Pink Shirt Day five years ago in support of a student who was teased for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school.
Price continues to promote bullying awareness and brought his message to Harrison Trimble High in Moncton on Monday.
“I don't think bullying is going away tomorrow. I don't think it's going to go away in five years,” says Price. “It's always going to be there, but as long as we have people working toward preventing it, we're making a difference, we're making progress.”
Harrison Trimble has a reputation for leading the fight against bullying.
“Everyone is a member of the No Trojan Left Behind program that we have,” says student Mallory Dalrymple. “We have T-shirts for it and everyone just helps out any Trojan they see in need. We also have an anti-bullying committee.”
That reputation encouraged student Tristan Terry to transfer to the Moncton area high school two years ago after being bullied.
Terry has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, but he says his life is now better.
“I definitely missed out on a lot of my year because I didn't want to go out and do anything,” says Terry. “In class I was constantly distracted, tired because I couldn't get sleep at night.”
Price will deliver his presentation to 13 New Brunswick schools over the next four days in an attempt to encourage everyone to stand up against bullying.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
