On May 6, students in the Canastota Central School District took part in the annual Million T-Shirt March Against Bullying, an event that sheds a light on bullying and encourages students to do something about the problem.
Students, faculty and staff joined a million other people around the country, as they marched in and around the Peterboro Street and Roberts Streets buildings, some holding signs and wearing shirts emblazoned with the statements, “It’s Time to Put an End to Bullying” and “Take a Stand Stop Bullying.”
The local march was coordinated by the Canastota High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America.
According to stopbullying.gov, a website about bullying maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, some of the statistics available on bullying show:
- 28 percent of U.S. students in grades 6-12 experienced bullying
- 20 percent of U.S. students in grades 9-12 experienced bullying
- Approximately 30 percent of young people admit to bullying others in surveys
- 70.6 percent of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools
- When bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57 percent of the time.
- While 15 percent of high school students were electronically bullied in the past year,
- 55.2 percent of LGBT students experienced cyberbullying.