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Pink Shirt Day reminds us that standing up to bullies is possible

A group of students participates in Pink Shirt Day 2013. (via PinkShirtDay.ca)

Seven years ago two teenage boys from Nova Scotia wore pink to school to support a younger student who was bullied solely because he wore pink on his first day of school.

The touching act of solidarity eventually spurred a movement across North America and lead to the development of Pink Shirt Day -- a day to wear pink and take a stand against bullying.

Wednesday, Feb. 26 marks the 7th annual Pink Shirt Day. Are you wearing pink today?

The issue of bullying has been thrust into the media spotlight over the last few years as public awareness grows regarding the lasting mental and physical scars bullying can cause.

As awareness of the issue increases, we have witnessed victims stand up to their bullies with incredible acts of courage and strength.

Recently we reported on a British woman with facial hair who suffered intense bullying that made her suicidal. After years of unsuccessfully trying to remove her facial hair, eventually she came to accept herself and grew out her beard refusing to shave it.

Also see: Should Canada raise its legal drinking age to 21?

Last year, we discovered 11-year-old Caine Smith who was hit, punched and choked by bullies at school. He eventually became an anti-bullying spokesperson who gave a speech at a school council meeting urging administrators to take action.

Statistics around bullying show that at least 1 in 3 teen students in Canada have reported being bullied recently. And it's not just teens that are at risk, 40 per cent of Canadian workers say they experience bullying on a weekly basis.

Also see: How to stop your babysitter from texting on the job

Experts have frequently pointed to something they call the "bystander effect" -- the fact that most people don't intervene when they witness bullying -- despite the fact that 85 per cent of bullying takes place in front of others.

The good news is that if bystanders do intervene the bullying is likely to cease within 10 seconds.

Here are a few ideas for where you or your loved ones can seek help for bullying: Kid's Help Phone, Bullying Canada or Red Cross.