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TALOYOAK/SPENCE BAY
The more people talk about bullying, the better chance there is of people standing up to it.

That was the conclusion of a high school social studies project that made its way to the legislative assembly earlier this month.

Katherine Lyall, a Grade 12 student at Netsilik School in Taloyoak, decided to do her final social studies project on the effects of bullying.

"I did all my research online," said Lyall, who recently graduated. "What I think is that bullied victims are scared of their bullies and ashamed to talk about it.

"This doesn't apply to all people, but for most people it can be very hard to talk about the times where you were put down and felt so inferior to other people."

Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk brought up anti-bullying efforts in the legislative assembly, praising Lyall for the work she had done and agreeing there should be some kind of support or anti-bullying program built into the curriculum.

"Her experience with bullying in her own school brought her to the conclusion that there is a very small chance that other schools are bully-free. I agree," said Ugyuk.

Lyall had sent a letter to Ugyuk, but she didn't know her project and work were going to be mentioned during members' statements and question period until Ugyuk called on the phone to let her know.

"This young woman talks about how bullying, as a victim or a bully, can lead to feelings of depression and other mental illnesses. She speaks of how bullying can affect school work or even attendance.

"She knows that the feelings created by bullying can push people to addiction," said Ugyuk.

"I am proud that a young person can look at the issue in this way and try to find solutions."

Being drawn to topics that deal with psychology and behaviour, Lyall jumped at the chance to cover bullying.

"I thought that the effects of bullying were a major issue, especially to the victims obviously, and that it is very taboo for the victims to talk about something so hurtful," said Lyall.

The GN is working on putting together some resources to support anti-bullying campaigns.

"Curriculum and school services staff is developing a resource manual for schools on the topic of establishing a positive school environment, similar to the School Operations Manual," said Premier Eva Aariak.

"District education authorities are addressing the issue of bullying with policy development regarding student code of conduct."

While there are currently no statistics showing how prevalent bullying is in Nunavut schools, Aariak emphasized this is more than just an education issue.

"Bullying is a societal issue that takes place in the homes, on the streets, in the schools, or even in workplaces sometimes. In order for this issue to be dealt with, the homes, schools, and communities have to work together," said Aariak.

Lyall agreed the effects of bullying are widespread, impacting more than just the victim.

"I really hope that there will be some more action against bullying, because the effects such as suicidal thoughts, mental illnesses, self-harm and so on, are really devastating to not only the victim but the people who surround the victim and the community that the victim lives in," she said.

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