The Diana Award has encouraged dictionary companies to remove the word ‘weak’ from their definitions of bully or bullying. The youth charity feels passionately that people who are bullied should not be stereotyped as weak. One of the key ways to change this is by removing any reference of strong or weak from the definition.
Throughout this week, The Diana Award will be releasing video content revealing some of the reactions from school children about the current definition, as well as an exclusive Snapchat filter. The charity hopes that by removing weak from the definition they can instil confidence in those who have or are still experiencing bullying.
The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign is encouraging the public to help persuade dictionaries to change the definition by tweeting and using the #IAMNOTWEAK @CambridgeWords @OxfordWords @OED @MacDictionary @MerriamWebster @Google. Supporters can also share the campaign video assets/jpegs from the charity’s social media channels: @DianaAward @AntiBullyingPro
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Alex Holmes, Head of Anti-Bullying, Campaigns and Development said: “Our ground breaking peer-led Anti-Bullying programme has trained over 27,000 young people across the UK and Ireland (and internationally) to act as Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. A core part of our work is to educate young people that a bully is not strong and being a victim of bullying is not weak. Through this campaign we are urging the dictionary companies to make this change and help future generations understand better bullying behaviour”
Campaign supporter Holly Branson stopped by The Diana Award’s #AntiBullyingWeek launch event at Alexandra Palace in London on Monday November 13th to get involved with the campaign. She said: “The Diana Award’s work to redefine the dictionary’s definition of the word bullying is a bold and necessary statement. We need to continue to challenge conversations around issues of bullying, and to do that, must ensure the narrative suitably empowers and supports those affected.”
A year 6 pupil from Sacred Heart Primary School in Luton, said: “I am angry at the dictionary calling me weak because I was confident enough to tell someone about me being bullied and that makes me strong.”
WCRS Creative Director Orlando Warner said: “Bullies aren’t strong, and those who are bullied aren’t weak. The current definition doesn’t accurately represent its true meaning, or even how the word ‘bully’ is used. We felt it was time to redefine the word, because how can you end bullying if the starting point is wrong?”
The Diana Award runs the leading Anti-Bullying Campaign in the UK and Ireland giving young people, professionals and parents the skills, confidence and training to tackle all forms of bullying as Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.
The Diana Award was set up in memory of The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and her belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better. It is committed to fostering change through practical action with young people.
