Harassment goes against human rights
Harassment and discrimination can begin and end with each of us. It is a matter of treating all people well, respecting each other’s differences, rights and abilities, and practicing that every day.
When we judge others because they are different from us, it gives us untrue, narrow views about people.
What are discrimination and harassment?
Discrimination is treating people differently or badly based on certain characteristics or differences and includes racism.
Harassment is a kind of discrimination that goes against Canada’s Human Rights Laws and involves treating people differently because of:
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age (teenager, elderly)
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ethnicity (their culture, how they live or dress)
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religious beliefs
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gender
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sexual orientation (gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual)
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family status (if they are from a single-parent family, adopted family, foster family, gay or lesbian parent family)
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physical or mental disability (mental illness, learning disability, use a wheelchair)
Have you experienced discrimination or harassment?
Have you ever...1
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overheard a joke that made fun of a person of a different ethnic background, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation?
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been the target of name-calling because of some characteristic?
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made fun of someone different than you?
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been excluded from an activity because many of the people there are different from you?
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labeled or stereotyped people (lumping together all people of a particular race, religion, or sexual orientation)?
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thought about or actually committed an act of violence or aggression against someone because that person is different than you?
No matter what your past history is with discrimination and harassment, you can change things now and help to put a stop to them!
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Get help for harassment or discrimination now
See how you can use your power to make your school and community safer