Pink Shirt Day

Every year, on the last Wednesday in February, the International Day of Pink is observed worldwide to raise awareness and combat bullying.

It all began in 2007 when a group of activists in a Canadian province launched an initiative after a Canadian student, Charles McNeill, was mocked and verbally bullied by his peers for wearing a pink shirt to school. Charles had worn the pink shirt in support of his mother, who was battling breast cancer. The activists bought 50 pink shirts and distributed them to his classmates, who wore them as a show of solidarity. Soon, students began wearing pink shirts to school on their own, and the pink shirt became a global symbol of the fight against bullying in schools, observed annually on the last Wednesday in February.

This year, at Ruđer Bošković School, we marked the day with thoughtfully planned activities organised in collaboration with the School Student Council, the MYP psychologist Slađana Ristić, and the PYP psychologist Danijela Andrejić Mićović. Students were encouraged to wear pink or incorporate a pink detail into their outfits as a symbolic gesture of support.

Teachers and students discussed a short film about the event that inspired and created this initiative. Research has shown that when bystanders intervene in bullying situations, the bullying stops within 10 seconds. This motivated students to design messages they would send to all participants in a bullying situation to make an impact and prevent further harm. They decorated pink shirts and wrote symbolic messages of support.

Each of us can take action to stop bullying.