Cyberbullying in Canada on the rise, UBC professor warns

With Canada celebrating the 16th annual Pink Shirt Day Wednesday, a University of British Columbia (UBC) professor is warning about an increase in cyberbullying cases across the country and how our youth are being affected.

Dr. Johanna Sam, an assistant professor of counseling psychology at UBC, says with the expansion of social media comes the expansion of cyberbullying.

“They experience a range of emotions, they will feel overwhelmed, they may feel frustration, they feel like sometimes they cannot ask for help so they start to deal with it on their own,” she said.

Sam explains cyberbullying is any behavior performed through a digital device or online platform, intended to cause harm to another person. She notes in many cases students may not even realize they are participating in a form of cyberbullying.

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Sam says support is available for those experiencing a form of bullying.

“They may look to online community forums, online resources, they may reach out to their friends and family on social media,” she said.

“Many young people talk about getting advice from their friends and family, finding someone that they are comfortable [sharing with], and they recognize they have the strength to go through and be vulnerable about their experiences even if these experiences are uncomfortable.”

She describes Pink Shirt Day as a day for everyone to come together and embrace each other’s differences.

The annual tradition started in Nova Scotia in 2007 when two students bought and distributed 50 pink shirts after witnessing a new classmate being harassed for wearing pink.

The last Wednesday each February has since become Canada’s national anti-bullying day.