Kaleb Miles from Bodalla Public School will be recognised this week at Government House in Sydney, as a Regional Finalist in a nationwide anti-bullying poster competition alongside 19 other regional finalists in the running to be the overall winner.
Over 45,000 children registered for Interrelate’s ‘Say No To Bullying’ poster competition in 2018, now in its 5th year. The event for primary school students was run nationwide for the first time this year, with CEO Patricia Occelli uplifted by the willingness of children to be involved in the anti-bullying conversation.
“We see far too often in the media the devastating news of young people who have felt that suicide was the only option they had left after relentless bullying. What these figures show is that victims of bullying are not alone and that there is in fact an army of other young people willing to stand beside them,” says Patricia Occelli.
“We know that there is power in numbers and really encourage young people who see bullying behaviours in their schools to step up and let the victims know that it’s not the entire world against them. Let them know that they are worth standing up for and that you will stay with them until things change for the better.”
The competition’s theme is ‘Bullieve in yourself’ and focuses on self-belief, with ties to the hit 20th Century Fox movie Ferdinand.
The 33 finalists will be recognised on 11th May 2018 at an Awards Ceremony at Government House Sydney, with the major prize winners to be announced on the day.
Interrelate’s competition aims to raise awareness of the issue of bullying and to assist schools to identify and address bullying behaviours in their school communities. The competition reinforces for children to:
Stand up for what they believe in
Not let others determine their value
Encourage positive viewing of others to help people see their own capabilities
Above: David Hurley, the Governor of New South Wales, has a special message for the finalists of Interrelate's 2018 'Say No To Bullying' Poster Competition
Relevant statistics
1 in 4 Australians in Years 4-9 report being bullied every few weeks or more, with the figures highest among students in Year 5 1
Kids who are bullied are more likely to show symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders, to have self-harmed or attempted suicide 2
Girls are more likely than boys to be the victims of both cyberbullying and traditional bullying 3
Young people who bully are significantly more likely to later engage in criminal behaviour. Bullying peers at school increases by more than half the risk of later becoming an offender 4
