Vienna International School celebrated the Unity day on Wednesday, 21 October.
Unity Day is an annual event occurring during International Bullying Prevention Month in October that promotes joining together to create healthier communities through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
The Unity Day had a simple initial call to action: wear and share orange! Along with wearing orange, students participated in activities that involved creating a safe and supportive community here at school. Simply wearing orange isn’t enough to end bullying, but it is a way to show solidarity. Other ways to take action and challenge bullying are by challenging others to be kind, standing up for others, practicing inclusion, generating conversation amongst peers.
At Vienna International School, we believe every child has the right to feel safe and supported. We recognize that bullying has a detrimental effect on the school environment for everyone. It can affect witnesses as well as targets. Witnesses often report feeling unsafe, helpless, and afraid that they will be the next target. We understand that we all have a role to play in bullying prevention. We can create a community without bullying by uniting for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.