This thread will discuss how a variety of issues related to bullying and harassment can affect your human rights

The most recent articles will appear at the top of the page.

If you have any questions or comments, please let us know and we'll get back to you in no time.

What is "bullying"?

18. February. 2008.

- Sofia Fortin

Bullying can be all kinds of behaviors, but generally involves a person or a group repeatedly trying to harm someone who is seen to be weaker.

It might include teasing, name-calling, threatening, hitting, and stealing things from the person being bullied. It may include a person or group intentionally ignoring or excluding someone from social activities.

These kinds of behaviors often drive the victim to desperate measures. And it is unfortunate that open discussions and real action against bullying often doesn't happen until extreme incidents of violence, suicide, and murder occur.

This in-depth report on bullying tells a few horror stories, but also talks about some innovative solutions to the problem. One really cool response has been the ‘Sea of Pink' campaign (see the video below), where huge groups of students wear pink to school to demonstrate their opposition to bullying.

This campaign started with two grade 12 students in Nova Scotia (David Sheppard and Travis Price, pictured above with NS premiere Rodney Macdonald and education minister Jamie Muir), and made it all the way accross the country to the Yukon in late 2007

Another new form of bullying that has emerged over the last few years is "Cyber-bullying," where the victim is harassed through emails, text messages, or social-networking sites like MySpace or Facebook.

This problem gained wide-spread media attention in the US, after cyber-bullying led to the suicide of a teenage girl in Missouri. The girl was harassed over MySpace by the parents of one of her friends (that she was fighting with at the time), who were posing as a 16-year and pretending to be romantically interested in her. Very messed up...

Bullying can be a type of harassment, which may fall under the Yukon Human Rights Act if it happens at school or work or when living in a rented apartment, or participating in an organized recreational program or other service provided to you as a member of the public.

If the harassment targets you because of your sex, ancestry, including your race or colour, ethnic or language background, physical or mental disability or any of the other grounds of discrimination, it may be a human rights complaint.

Unfortunately harassment and bullying also happens at work (check out the Commission's page on workplace harassment) and you as an employee have a right to a workplace free of harassment from the boss, other workers, and customers. This is especially true of sexual harassment. Unfortunately, rude and inappropriate comments, physical contact and a range of other offensive activities still happen all the time.

For a humorous example of sexual harrasment in the workplace, check out this clip from The Office:

Now it's your turn.

Is it really possible to prevent bullying and harassment at school, in the workplace, or in the community?

If you think so, let us know why, and how this might be accomplished... Rights Now.

If you have some experience with bullying or harassment that you think might have violated your human rights, please contact the Yukon Human Rights Commission for information and advice. You can reach us at humanrights@yhrc.yk.ca or call 667-6226 or 1-800-661-0535.